Testosterone is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland in both males and females. As we age, testosterone production slows down and the body has a decrease in the amount of free testosterone that is available in the bloodstream. These reduced levels of testosterone can cause a variety of problems including the inability to maintain all of your muscle mass. There are several ways to increase your testosterone levels naturally to help you look and feel better. Here are 5 steps to increase your testosterone naturally.
Increase Testosterone Step #1 – Lift Heavy & Basic
Incorporate basic movements that involve several muscle groups in your training routine. Great compound movements are barbell squats, dead lifts, and military presses. These basic core exercises have been shown to play an important role in testosterone levels. The greatest workout related testosterone production occurs with the use of heavier weights and lower rep range. A study shows that the best is 85 per cent of your one-rep max. Make sure to train with high intensity for short periods of time. Your overall weight training workout should not last longer than 60 minutes (45 min is optimal). Train hard and get out of the gym to let your muscles recuperate and grow!
Increase Testosterone Step #2 – Sleep Well
If you are not getting enough sleep the body is not recuperating well, which causes less testosterone and more corticosteroids to be released. Just to mention corticosteroids like cortisol are in fact catabolic hormones meaning they use up muscle tissue to provide the brain and the heart with energy. Sleep has a tremendous impact on testosterone levels. Your test levels can plummet 40% down by having poor sleep quality. Make sure to get a quality mattress that fits your comfort level, keep your room a little cooler than average and use the bathroom before going to bed to avoid disruption in sleep. Focus on getting 8-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal rest and recuperation.
Increase Testosterone Step #3 – Watch The Alcohol
Alcohol has the property to inhibit your ability to remove estrogen from the blood stream by acting as a central nervous system depressant and also by decreasing zinc levels. Alcohol should be avoided when trying to increase testosterone levels. Healthy normal men, consuming reasonable amounts of alcoholic drink, experience a 20% drop in their serum levels of testosterone. In chronic alcoholics with extensive liver damage those levels can be reduced by as much as 50% and they can become feminized (lose facial and pubic hair, become impotent, and fat deposits behind the nipples that give the appearance of breasts which is called gynecomastia).
Increase Testosterone Step #4 – Eat More Fat
Low fat consumption causes increase of the SHGB, which means one thing, less free testosterone. It is considered that monounsaturated fats play an important role in testosterone levels and bioavailability. Choose foods high in monounsaturated fats, like avocados, nuts and seeds. Olive oil is a great source of healthy fats along with a product called Udo’s Oil which is a blend of Omega 3,6,9 essential fatty acids.
Increase Testosterone Step #5 – Don’t Over Train
Always allow your body to recuperate adequately between your workout sessions. If you don’t, your circulating testosterone levels can plunge by as much as 40 PERCENT as was discovered by studies performed at the University of North Carolina. The symptoms of over training are easy to diagnose: irritability, insomnia, muscle shrinkage and an overall feeling of fatigue. To avoid over training, make sure you rest at least 48 hours between muscle groups and sleep a full 8-9 hours per night. Getting adequate rest is probably one of the best ways to increase testosterone levels!
