As any bodybuilder knows, testosterone is critical to stacking on muscle. The amount you have swimming around your body has a direct impact on the physical results you’ll get from your training. So if its gains you want, you need to be doing everything you can to maximise your testosterone levels. Here are 11 ways you can boost your testosterone naturally.
Get more sleep I bet you didn’t know that sleep has a major impact on your T-levels? If you’re not getting enough quality sleep, your testosterone levels can drop by a scary 40%. Make sure you get at least eight hours of sleep every night. It’s a good idea to take supplements such as ZM A too, which will help give you a better sleep.
Have more sexDid you know that if you haven’t, erm, ‘released’ for longer than a week, your testosterone levels drop massively? So get busy in the sack as often as you can to raise those flagging T-levels. I recommend you follow this tip immediately with tip number one for a double testosterone whammy! Sex and sleep. What more could a guy want!? Oh yeah; food. Take some of tip three to bed with you!
Eat testosterone-boosting foods
There are certain foods that can help elevate your testosterone levels. Coconut oil, shrimp, strawberries, ricotta cheese and pumpkin seeds have all been linked to testosterone production. Pick some up next time you’re grocery shopping, along with plenty of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and kale. These are thought to boost T-levels because they contain phytonutrients which help suppress the female hormone estrogen, which lowers testosterone levels.
Ditch your excess fat
If you’re carrying around extra weight, then kiss your T-levels goodbye. According to reports, overweight men are more likely to have low testosterone levels to begin with. That’s because fat cells contain the testosterone-destroying female hormone estrogen. The higher your fat percentage, the higher your estrogen levels, and the lower your testosterone levels. Fortunately, other studies show that men who lose a significant amount of weight may increase their T-levels.
Cut down on alcohol
Bad news fellas; if you’re really serious about boosting your testosterone levels, you’re gonna have to cut right down on the beer. Why? Because it’s packed full of hops, which are highly estrogenic. Yep, that pesky female hormone crops up everywhere. Every pint you have after work on a Friday night will be sending your estrogen levels soaring and your T-levels plummeting. And don’t you can make up for cutting out the beer by having the occasional binge drinking session. Studies have shown that binge drinking dramatically lowers your T-levels by actually converting your testosterone into estrogen. Oh, and it also reduces testicle size.
Lift heavier weights
There’s a reason lifting heavy weight makes you feel manly. It boosts your T-levels. Lots of studies have shown that using heavier weights with lower reps increases testosterone levels much more than any other type of exercise. So lift heavy to maximize your testosterone boost.
Get more sunlight Studies show Vitamin D, a steroid hormone, is essential for the development of healthy sperm. Of course, this helps boosts your T-levels as well. The best way to get an adequate supply of Vitamin D is to ensure you are getting enough natural sunlight. At least 30 minutes in daylight is enough for most people.
Do High Intensity Interval Training High intensity interval training (HIIT) does wonders not only for your physique, but for testosterone your levels too. Studies on sprinters have shown their testosterone increases when practicing HIIT and short sprints during training. Need more proof? Just look at the difference between skinny marathon runners and muscular track and field sprinters.
Take BCAAs Chances are you’re probably using BCAAs at the moment anyway to accelerate and maintain your muscle growth. But you probably didn’t know that these Branched Chain Amino Acids significantly increase your testosterone levels. One study showed a massive 50% increase in T-levels during strength training because of BCAAs. Take them before and after your workouts to benefit from their testosterone boosting power.
Take testosterone-boosting supplements Forget dodgy injections; there are lots of natural supplements you can take which can help boost your T-levels. Studies have shown people with higher vitamin D levels also have much higher testosterone levels . Zinc plays a critical role in the production of testosterone, and one study showed that men taking ZMA (zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6) supplements increased their testosterone levels by 30%, which correlated with gains in muscular strength and power. Other studies have shown the tribulus terrestris plant elevates T-levels by up to 40%, and the amino acid D-aspartic acid (DAA) may also increase testosterone production.
CrazyBulk does an excellent
natural testosterone booster called Testo-Max. It packs 1500 mg of D-aspartic acid and pure tribulus terrestris into each capsule, so you know you’re getting an ultra potent product that can help give your T-levels a kick in the right direction.
Don’t let your balls get too hot Yep. You read that right. Your balls should always be cooler than your normal body temperature. That’s why they hang outside of your body. Studies have proven that when the testicles are heated to body temperature, testosterone and sperm production stops completely until they have cooled down again. That’s a scary thought huh? So keep your balls cool and happy and those T-levels up by avoiding things like hot baths and tight boxers.
Utilizing these 11 naturals, testosterone-boosting methods will have your testosterone levels shooting in no time so you can start packing on the muscle mass.
