Build More Muscle, Burn More Fat, And Have More Sex In Your 30’s And 40’s Than You Did In Your 20’s With These 8 Scientifically Proven Methods To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone To Superhuman Levels.
With a stern look that screamed seriousness…
The doctor looked at me and said, “No wonder you’re tired, unmotivated, and don’t feel much like yourself lately.”
He went on to say, “It isn’t your fault, I’m seeing this happen with more and more men these days. It’s the all the plastic, the cell phones, stress, not enough sleep, and crazy work schedules.”
What was the doctor talking about?
It’s difficult and a bit embarrassing for me to talk about, but here goes — the doctor was talking about my low testosterone levels.
Two years ago my total testosterone levels were at 497, which is low but not terrible. Last year they were 488 and this year… well, I’ll know in a few days but all indications suggest the numbers have gotten worse.
All men experience a decline in testosterone of about 1% per year once they hit 30. That’s normal but in today’s modern world of plastics, cell phones, information overload, stress, and a workday that seems to never end… it’s been getting worse and worse.
According to my hormone specialist, he’s been seeing a strong testosterone decline across the board for all men even much earlier than 30. Yikes! That’s good news for his bank account, but terrible news for us men over 30.
How do you know if you have a problem with low testosterone?
Well, there are a number of symptoms but not all them are as obvious as erectile dysfunction or low sex-drive. Luckily, I haven’t experienced either of those symptoms.
(This would be a much more embarrassing and ballsy post if I had. Hmm… maybe ballsy isn’t the right word given the context 😜 )
I’ve felt more tired than usual regardless of how much sleep I get. When I wake up, my morning salute hasn’t been as strong as usual if you know what I’m sayin’… and I’ve also felt kind of lazy, unmotivated, and not really like my alpha-uber-competitive-take-the-bull-by-the-horns-self.
Initially, I thought I might have sleep apnea because I snore (or so I’m told) but after getting tested — no dice. I have an “extremely mild case” according to the sleep specialist. Plus, snoring and sleep apnea could be caused by low testosterone. So, all signs now point to my low testosterone levels.
Given my age, my testosterone levels should between 620 – 670. Based on last years test I’m 132 points below average. And when you factor in my heavy weight training and impeccable high cholesterol diet of foods linked to elevated testosterone levels, well…
Houston, we have a problem.
What makes this even more troubling is that my workouts, diet, and supplement program are specifically designed to maximize my testosterone levels. And I know this shit works because I’ve done the research and I’ve seen major testosterone boosts in many of the men I work with.
So, how do you know if you’re suffering from low testosterone levels?
10 Symptoms of Low Testosterone
- Low sex-drive.
- Erectile dysfunction.
- Decreased motivation.
- Hair loss or thinning.
- No morning erection.
- Low energy or fatigue despite sleeping 7+ hours.
- Irritability, unless you’ve always been an asshole.
- Decreased levels of happiness and overall well-being.
- Increase in body fat despite working out and eat healthy.
- Inability to lose body fat or build muscle despite working out and eating healthy.
That brings us to the next logical question: how do you know where your testosterone levels “should” be?
Hopefully, you’ve gotten your testosterone levels checked recently and you already know your total and free testosterone levels. If not, I’d strongly urge you to get those checked ASAFP.
You can get this done by your general physician with your normal blood-work, but YOU MUST ASK FOR IT SPECIFICALLY. If don’t ask, they won’t check it.
Your general physician is going to tell you it’s fine regardless, but you can check the number against the chart below. You can also go to a private facility like Wellness FX and get your blood-work done.
I’ve had it done my general physician the past few years, but this year I went to a specific hormone specialist. To find a specialist in your area use Yelp and make sure you read the reviews.
So, back to your testosterone levels…
There is the okay range that your general physician gives you and then there is optimal. I don’t know about you, but I’m going for optimal. I’m not trying to be Average Johnson. Like my boy Arnold, the last thing I want is to be like everyone else.
If you want to know if your testosterone levels are optimal, refer to this chart below. The table below by D. Simon (1996) shows total mean, medium, 5% and 95% testosterone levels by age. Find your age range and you’ll know what’s up:
If you’re not sure what your total testosterone and free testosterone levels are, but you’re experiencing symptoms — the only way to know for sure is to get tested.
If you’ve been feeling tired, lazy, or unmotivated…
If your sex drive has shriveled up like the green grass in California…
If you no longer pitch a tent upon waking…
Or if you cannot seem to add on muscle mass and/or reduce body fat despite eating healthy and working out…
You very well might have low testosterone levels. But the only way to know for sure is to get tested.
In this next part of the article I’m going to be talking what, specifically, you can do in order to naturally increase your testosterone levels. But before we get to the 8 scientifically proven methods for naturally and safely boosting testosterone levels, I want to cover 7 things that will lower your testosterone levels.
You see, before worrying about and taking steps to elevate your testosterone levels — it’s best to make sure you’re not sabotaging yourself unintentionally. Tim Ferriss often says a not todo list can be just as powerful, if not more, than a todo list. With that in mind, I created a not todo list or a stop-fucking-yourself-over-by-cutting-this-shit-out-now list.
Below is a exhaustive and definitive list of the scientifically proven things that will lower your testosterone levels and have you more emotional than a teenage girl…
Of course, every claim is backed by scientific research because I’m a rockstar when it comes to details and a master of the research paper. It’s a talent honed through thousands of hours spent in the library throughout high school and college when I obviously wasn’t out drinking or hooking up with chicks.
At the time I was mildly depressed about it, but now — it’s clearly paid off in spades. At least that’s what I’m telling myself as I cry myself to sleep at night 😢
7 Things That Lower Your Testosterone
1. Soy Protein suppresses testosterone levels.
2. All plastics from containers like Tupperware to plastic bags.
Bisphenol A (BPA) which is found in many plastics lowers testosterone levels. Most water bottles and Tupperware is now BPA free. If you’re going to use plastic, make sure you buy BPA free but to be even safer — buy glass containers like these.
Phthalates which are commonly used to make plastics more flexible are strongly correlated to decreases in testosterone of men, women, and children. Instead of plastic Tupperware use glass containers like these. You can’t win with plastics.
3. Air fresheners and scented candles often contain phthalates that are highly estrogenic and lower testosterone levels. Who knew?! This kinda sucks because I was obsessed with Vanilla Cupcake by Yankee Candle. Dammit!
4. Performing long bouts of cardio like spin has been shown to decrease testosterone levels, which is why I hate steady-state cardio and have never been to a spin class. Hey, it’s not my opinion — it’s science. Don’t kill the messenger. For more information check out an article I wrote called The Truth About Cardio.
5. Parabens which are found in many personal care products such as moisturizers, shampoos, shaving gels, toothpaste, etc. Studies show they decrease testosterone and lower sperm count. Always, always buy paraben free moisturizer. This one is my favorite, it’s lemony fresh.
Pro Tip: If it doesn’t say “paraben free” it has parabens and should NOT be used.
6. Trans fats have been shown to wreak havoc on the body in many ways from insulin to inflammation and even lower testosterone. Avoid them at all costs. For more info on improving insulin sensitivity check out this article I wrote.
What foods contains trans fats?
Many cheap grocery store brands of cookies, cakes, pies, microwave popcorn, margarine, crackers, doughnuts, biscuits, microwavable breakfast sandwiches, pizza, and many fried foods from fast-food chains. This is exactly why I buy my cupcakes from Sprinkles and my pizza from Whole Foods.
Pro Tip: Be careful, even if the nutrition label shows zero trans fats, the food can still contain trans fats. Under the rules of the Food and Drug Administration, foods that contain less than 0.5 g of trans fat per serving can be labeled with “0g” of trans fat.
To be clear, before you start worrying about boosting your testosterone levels — go through the list above and make sure you’re not unintentionally lowering your levels.
Now that we got that out of the way, here is an exhaustive and definitive list of the scientifically proven things that will boost your testosterone levels… these 8 tips will have you building more muscle, burning more fat, and having more sex in your 30’s and 40’s than you did in your 20’s:
8 Scientifically Proven Methods For Naturally And Safely Boosting Testosterone Levels
1. Intermittent Fasting has been proven to boost both testosterone and growth hormone. Intermittent Fasting is a complete game-changer in terms of losing body fat, building muscle, and optimizing your hormones. If you’re not doing it, you’re missing out.
This study showed that a 24-hour fast temporarily boosted GH by 2,000%. This study showed how IF burns body fat after 12-hours and lower levels of body fat are linked to higher levels of testosterone. Find out more in my article Intermittent Fasting For Rapid Fat Loss.
2. Get more sleep. Not only does a lack of sleep cause lower testosterone levels but it can also cause you to gain body fat and lose muscle mass. It’s a no-brainer, more sleep will improve the quality of your life across the board: you’ll be happier, healthier, and you’ll live longer.
Pro Tip: I use both earplugs and an eye-mask when sleeping. I know, sounds kinda girly but this will prevent interruptions and has been scientifically proven to improve sleep quality and hormone balance. Not so girly anymore.
3. HIIT Cardio has been proven to elevate testosterone levels while steady-state cardio has been shown to decrease testosterone levels. I recommend one or two 10-20 HIIT sessions per week. Find out more in my article The Truth About Cardio.
4. Metabolic Resistance Training boosts both testosterone and growth hormone. Metabolic resistance training is simply the combination of strength training and cardio. It’s the best combination since creatine and carbs or hot girls and yoga pants 😜
According to the study, weight training protocols like metabolic resistance training which stress high volume, high intensity, short rest periods, and large muscle groups are far superior for stimulating testosterone and growth hormone than traditional workouts with low volume and long rest periods like most gym-goers tend to do.
5. Eat foods high in healthy fats such as avocado, eggs, grass-fed beef, and grass-fed butter. These foods are proven to be highly correlated with your sex hormones like testosterone production while low-fat diets have been linked to low levels of testosterone.
Pro Tip: Reducing cholesterol intake has no positive effect on your risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, or stroke.
6. Supplement with Zinc.
Zinc deficiency has been linked to low testosterone. In fact, a Zinc deficiency can cause a drop in testosterone by as much as 50%. Click here to download my FREE Supplement Cheat Sheet Guide.
7. Supplement with Magnesium.
Magnesium deficiency has been shown to decrease testosterone by as much as 26% in healthy males. Click here to download my FREE Supplement Cheat Sheet Guide.
8. Supplement with Vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency has been proven to lower testosterone. This study showed that when healthy male participants take 3,332 IU of vitamin D daily for a year, they end up having 25.2% more testosterone on average when compared to a placebo. Click here to download my FREE Supplement Cheat Sheet Guide.
Tips For Your Success
- Low testosterone has a lot more symptoms than just low sex-drive and erectile dysfunction.
If you experience decreased motivation, hair loss/thinning, low-energy, fatigue, irritability, unhappiness, increases in body fat, or decreases in muscle mass you might have low testosterone levels. Get tested.
- Don’t trust your general physician if they say your testosterone levels are “normal.” Use the chart above to find out where your optimal testosterone levels should be based on your age.
- You might be unintentionally lowering your testosterone levels if you’re using soy protein, plastics, air fresheners, scented candles, or personal care products with parabens. Eating trans fats and doing long bouts of cardio also lower testosterone.
Action Items For Your Success
- Follow the 8 scientifically proven methods for naturally increasing your testosterone levels listed above including intermittent fasting, more sleep, HIIT Cardio, Metabolic Resistance Training, eating healthy fats, and supplementing with Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin D. For more info on supplements, download my FREE Supplement Cheat Sheet.
- After implementing these steps for several months, get your testosterone levels checked again by your regular doctor, a private company like Wellness FX, or a hormone specialist. If they haven’t significantly improved you’re likely a candidate for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).