If I could show you how to increase your testosterone levels completely naturally, would you be interested?
Yes I thought so 😉
Increased testosterone is associated with a plethora of benefits! Here’s just some of them…
- More lean muscle
- Increased strength
- Increased energy levels
- Less body fat
- Better sex
Basically, if you have more testosterone circulating, you’ll have more muscle and more potential to build even more new muscle tissue.
GREAT! So how do we do it?
Here I’ve listed 8 effective ways to boost your testosterone levels naturally.
(1) Get Lean
Body fat has an adverse effect on testosterone levels. More adipose tissue leads to higher levels of estrogen (via aromatase). Getting lean has a very positive compounding effect on your body…
Get lean => lower estrogen => more testosterone=> build muscle more easily => more muscle=higher metabolism => Increased ability to STAY lean and build even more muscle
This is why the conventional tactic to “bulk up” first then cut isn’t necessarily the best strategy. When people ask me about possibly starting ‘Total Six Pack Abs’Â to cut body fat but are unsure as to whether they should bulk or cut first, I reply that it’s a matter of choice.
Both strategies are fine. In fact, in my earlier days I wish I hadn’t been poisoned with the ‘eat big to get big’ mantra. I developed a pretty huge gut that took a lot of hard work to get rid off. You can’t stimulate growth with extra calories and remember that there are only 600 calories in a pound of muscle.
(2) Train to a high level of intensity
There is a positive correlation between intensity of effort and testosterone production. The more muscle fibers you can recruit, the more T production there will be. As I stated in this article, maximum muscle fiber recruitment comes from training to muscular failure and involving those type 2b fast twitch fibers.
To start training with intensity and packing on muscle fast, click here to download my free workout.
(3) Use Compound Exercises
Using compound exercises i.e. exercises that involve rotary motion around more than one joint, involve multiple muscle groups simultaneously . This SYSTEMIC stress on the body stimulates more T production. Use these movements in addition to isolation exercises for complete all-round development.
Note: I am not a fan of compound-only routines like the 5×5 workout. Squats and deadlifts are great, but biceps that ‘pop out’ when you supinate your hand are developed by isolating that muscle group while complementing with compound exercises.
(4) Eat Fat
You have to eat fat. Fat is required for the production of testosterone. Studies [1] [2] have clearly shown that if saturated fat and monounsaturated fat levels are low, testosterone levels are also correspondingly low.
This is why low-fat diets are very undesirable for the person wishing to add pounds of new muscle.
Here Are Some Great Sources Of Dietary Saturated Fat :
- Eggs with the yolk
- Red meat
- Real butter
- Coconut oil (contains an abundance of medium-chain triglycerides)
- Cheese
And here’s some great sources of monounsaturated fat:
- Avocado
- Seeds
- Olive Oil
- Almonds
- Peanut butter
(5) Supplement with Vitamin D
A study [3] of 165 participants saw subjects take either 3332 IU of Vitamin D or a placebo. Testosterone values were at the lower end of the reference range, for males aged 20-49 years, in both groups before the study.
Compared to baseline values, a significant increase in total testosterone levels (from 10.7 ± 3.9 nmol/l to 13.4 ± 4.7 nmol/l; p < 0.001), bioactive testosterone (from 5.21 ± 1.87 nmol/l to 6.25 ± 2.01 nmol/l; p = 0.001), and free testosterone levels (from 0.222 ± 0.080 nmol/l to 0.267 ± 0.087 nmol/l; p = 0.001) were observed in the vitamin D supplemented group. By contrast, there was no significant change in any testosterone measure in the placebo group.
(6) Get adequate sleep
As I state in my article on sleep and muscle growth, studies [4] show that people who sleep 4 or less hours per night have 60% less total testosterone and 55% less bio-available testosterone than those who slept 8 hrs or more. That’s a huge drop!
I’m sure this is a sliding scale i.e. 5 or 6 hrs per night will also decrease your test levels, but less so. Get more sleep and see your gains improve!
(7) Relax & chill out
Following on from night-time rest, you may be aware of cortisol – a catabolic or ‘break-down’ hormone. It is released in higher levels during a stressful ‘fight or flight’ response, so you want to keep this guy in check. If you live a stressful lifestyle, you can expect higher levels of cortisol and lower levels of testosterone.
Take some time out for yourself every day, listen to calming music, go for a walk in nature, consider meditation. In my article on meditation and anabolic hormones I reference a study [5] in which researchers found that meditation decreases levels of catabolic (stress) hormones in the body and raises growth hormone levels.
(8) Take it easy on the booze
Apart from slowing down fat loss by up to 73%, alcohol also reduces T production and increases estrogen levels. I’m not talking about a beer or 2, it’s binge drinking that causes the problem. So take it easy at the weekends!
Remember that the factors that create success in bodybuilding are interdependent i.e. you can’t get one thing right while getting everything else wrong and expect success. You need a lifestyle change.
This begins with the ROCK-SOLID DECISION to change your life. An unerring commitment to transformation. If you haven’t already made that choice, do it –Â TODAY. It’s never too late to start all over again!
Your Buddy,
Mark McManus
References:
[1] Testosterone and cortisol in relationship to dietary nutrients and resistance exercise.
Journal of Applied Physiology, 82 (1), 49-54.
Volek, J. S., Kraemer, W. J., Bush, J. A., Incledon, T., & Boetes, M. (1997).
[2] Low-fat high-fiber diet decreased serum and urine androgens in men.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 90(6), 3550-3559.
Wang, C., Catlin, D. H., Starcevic, B., Heber, D., Ambler, C., Berman, N., … & Swerdloff, R. S. (2005)
[3] Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men.
Horm Metab Res. 2011 Mar;43(3):223-5. doi: 10.1055/s-0030-1269854. Epub 2010 Dec 10. Pilz S1, Frisch S, Koertke H, Kuhn J, Dreier J, Obermayer-Pietsch B, Wehr E, Zittermann A.
[4] Sleep, sex steroid hormones, sexual activities, and aging in Asian men.
J Androl. 2010 Mar-Apr;31(2):131-7. doi: 10.2164/jandrol.109.007856. Epub 2009 Aug 14.
Goh VH1, Tong TY.
[5] Effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on adaptive mechanisms: changes in hormone levels and responses to stress after 4 months of practice. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1997 May;22(4):277-95.
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Hey Mark,
Great article, I love the fact that you step out against booze and give the truth, as usual. Too many people sit and say they want to lose weight and spend 1-2 (sometimes more) nights a week getting plastered and wondering why they don’t lose weight. Well put.
Thanks a bunch,
Ryan
Come on Mark… ” Take it easy on the booze”… have a heart LOL
I like the more muscle less fat leads to more muscle less fat… that’s the one for me. Sounds like poetic justice to me.
Great advice as usual.
Mark,
Great stuff yet again, Having followed your THT and TSPA plans over the last 18 months to great effect, I am living proof that your methods work and unlike many others can fit around a busy lifestyle with family and a business to run.
All th best
Jason
@Ryan. True. I know some of them personally mate!
@Keith. Thanks again. Yep, success breeds yet more success.
@Jason. Good to know your progressing towards your goals. Even better to know you got the material from this site. 🙂
Hey Mark,
Great advice again. Now if I could go to failure and stimulate my entire body using a full body workout, keeping it under 45 mins, and allowing a week before I go back and do it again, would this work? I’ve been able to do the workout, it involves some imagination and is absolutely gruelling, but it is possible to do. I know this would produce a lot of testosterone. I keep my MANS diet in check, and allow full recovery, with just a few brief active recovery eliptical sessions during the week.. Could this style of training work? I just dont like to do splits. Even though my muscles recover, I fing that multiple weight training sessions when going to failure burn out my CNS. This way I give my muscles and CNS an entire week off.
Mark,
I’ve read a lot of your articles and they are very good. The thing I need BIG help with is GAINING weight. I lift 5 times a week, take a protien shake afterward, and try to eat as much as I can but i STILL can’t gain weight. I need your help.
Thanks Man
Matt
Nice article as always Mark. I will gladly admit, I do just about all of these things. With the exception of the compund exercises. And I’m wondering, do testosterone boosters actually work? Because I’ve been looking into them for a little while and I like the idea of them haha. Cheers.
Beautiful article,squat,deadlift and bench press also increase testosterone and IGF level,vitaminc c also increase production of testosterone….
Mark pls help me,actually mine biceps are not growing,iam only 5 mths old in the gym..
Iam from India,iam 29 years of age,height 5.9,weight 74kgs,iam just 5 mth old in the gym,i do gain shoulders,traps,thighs,chest,triceps but mine biceps r not growing..
Before joining gym
weight 72 kgs now 74 kgs
shoulders 17 now 18
chest normal 37 now 39 chest exp 39 now 40
upper arm 12 now 131/2
forearm 11 now 12
waist 34 now 32
hips 36 now 38
thigh 16 now 22
calf 14 now 13
ankle 9 now 81/2
This is the 4 day split……
MON
CHEST/TRICEPS
FLAT BENCH PRESS
DECLINE DUMBBELL PRESS
INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS
TRICEPS MACHINE PULLEY
KICK BACK
TUES
BACK/BICEPS
LAT PULL DOWN FRONT
MACHINE PULL UPS
SEATED ROW
DEADLIFT
BARBELL CURL
PREACHER CURL
WED….OFF
THUR
SHOULDERS
OVERHEAD PRESS
SEATED DELTOIDS RAISE
FRONT PLATE RAISE
UPRIGHT ROW
DUMBBELL SHRUGS
FRI……LEGS
SQUAT
LEG PRESS
KNEE EXT
STANDING CALF RAISE
SAT……OFF
SUN….OFF
one warm sets each body part and then 3 normal sets with 8-10 rep,i lift really heavy weights,only 50-55 minutes workouts,2 hr before workout i eat carbohydrate rich food like chapati,rice and then 15 min before workout i take one b complex capsule,after workout i take dextrose 50 gram with creatine 3 gram in 500 ml of water and take with vitamin c and e and a antoxyforte capsules….
i do love big biceps but mine biceps r not growing,i really follow progressive overload technique,when i finish back workout there is not much energy left for the biceps workout,so should i do only biceps workout only on Saturday so that i can able to fully concentrate on it….
i wish a programm for body part per day pls thanks
@Paul. I think it would would wonders. Though everyone will have to assess where their individual peak overcompensation point is, and work out again on that day. Subscribing to a set day wouldn’t be optimal, although yours could be on the 7th day after all.
Anyway, I’m working on something very similar which I’m sure will produce phenomenal results! I will be offering it to students on my new online personal training program, coming in February. In you, or anyone, is interested, email me via the contact form on this site.
Avoid Commercial Raised Red Meat:
Not to be a downer but commercially raised red meat has been found to have some the highest absorbable estrogen levels as far as foods are concerned. I would steer clear of commercially red meat and when consuming red meat go organic and hormone free.
https://www.nutritionresearchcenter.org/healthnews/if-youve-ever-needed-to-know-about-organic-meats/
Avoid Products that contain BPA:
BPA leaches out of plastic food and drink containers and into your endocrine system and raises estrogen levels in both men and women. There is a very clear link between plastic container s that contain BPA and absorbable synthetic estrogens. You could easily decrease the amount of environmental estrogen you consume by eliminating using all plastics bottles or containers that are not BPA free. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1257590/
@Matt. New material coming soon will help you out.
@Johnny. In short, no they don’t work.
@Sunil. To prioritize a body part, give it a day of its own or at least work it first. I will be developing a new free program soon that will help you out too.
@Shay. Solid advice mate, thanks.
Hi Mark,
Confused about #1 and #4. How do I get lean yet still consume fat? What I would like to see is a dietary plan from you, day by day. Or is that on your site already and I just haven’t bumped into it. Have seen recipes but not a scheduled eating plan. I have lots of problems gaining muscle mass and am convinced it is because of diet. I train to failure and I have tried different rest periods. So don’t think my problems are in those areas. Of course I am 60 so maybe some of that is to be expected. Have been training for a year. Some gains that I do take pride in but wish there was more.
Thanks
@Joe. Must be your first time at MuscleHack. Dietary fat is good for fat loss (not too much of course). It’s part of the philosophy of this site. Check out the most popular articles in the sidebar for my MANS and GLAD diet articles.
Hello Mark,
Iam from India,Please give me a 4 day split workout,i want to concentrate on the biceps,mine biceps are not growing,in 5 mths only 1.5 inc increase…
I’ve heard all of these before except for the “Stay Lean” concept. It made sense the way you said it. I’m in the “eat big to get big” camp and I’ve been gaining like crazy. I’ve been in both camps and can attest to the fact that they both work. It just seems that eating big works faster …for me anyways. Thanks for the refresher!
Mitch
ive asked people and trainers for different diets, workout plans and other areas of interest but nothing compares to info this fantabulous website offers. im waiting for the free program you promised sunil, that should be as usual interesting.
easy homie
@Wael. “Fantabulous” – What a word, lol. Thanks, glad you like the info. 🙂
Thanks Mark, I more quick question regarding my full body workout plan. If it turned out that my point of overcompensation happened to be on the 7th day, effectively a week between sessions, would it be a good idea to perform this workout at the end of my carb up period while my glycogen stores are at their highest. For example if my carb up period is from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon, perform the full body workout Sunday early evening. I could then just perform some lighter active recovery eliptical sessions on my low carb week days, allowing both my muscles and CNS time to recover. Just trying to put all the basic principles of training and nutrition together, so they are not “fighting” eachother. Thanks again for the great website
good mark thx for tht artical
Thanks for a motivating article Mark 🙂 Really ended 2008 on a low, I dont know why exactly but I really lost control with my eating habits and gained just over 20lbs in 8 weeks. I think it was down to me losing focus on my goals and ended up in a cycle of bad eating, then came the holidays and all sanity went out the window. I’m using a method that I have full faith in, TSPA 🙂
Like you pointed out it’s never too late to start over, I just need to get focused on my goal to lose the fat and keep going until it’s done.
I read articles more and more lately about how excess calories aren’t needed to build muscle so do you think we should be thinking positively when using TSPA about being able to gain muscle even when calories are lower? I know I sometimes fall into the mindset of thinking I wont be building muscle while cutting calories so I dont need to workout as hard and I’ll admit I probably dont push myself as hard when thinking like this.
hey great stuff you have here it has litterally changed my life! start of last year i was chubby (im 15 also) now almost 16 and fit /strong and when i measure my bicep/tricep its 39cm i was amazed the other day when i mesured it, could you tell me if thats a decent size for my age? and ive only been on protine for 4 months out of 1.5 years
What about sex and masturbation? Always heard that sex increases testosterone but never know the correct frequency