Lifestyle Tips to Increase Testosterone Naturally, Part 2 (Breather Episode with Brad)

Mar 13, 2020

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(Breather)Here we go! Part two of this four-part series will continue to focus on what you can do to naturally increase testosterone, by utilizing these easily applicable methods to your diet and exercise routine.

Strength training and sprinting are great ways to build up testosterone levels. The best form of strength training is anything that emphasizes lower body compound movements (meaning, something that requires a complete range of motion, rather than isolated movement, like doing leg extensions while sitting on a chair). Squats and deadlifts are great at activating androgen receptivity in the legs, which boosts testosterone optimization. Here’s a simple workout protocol you can try at home:

6 reps with a challenging weight, taking two minute rests between sets. A couple sets of deep squats every day doesn’t take a lot of time, but makes a huge difference.
Finish with a “partial range of motion” that has some good receptor site activation. I randomly discovered that if I hold the deadlift hex bar a little below the top, and bend my elbows and knees and hold that for 20 seconds, that is not just good for muscle stimulation, but for stimulating androgen receptors as well.
Forced reps are also recommended for when you are fatigued and just need an assist, as this has been shown to recruit muscle fibers and androgen receptors.

Let’s not forget about the importance of cardiovascular exercise! It’s key that you do cardio correctly, which means doing the majority of your cardio at or below your maximum aerobic heart rate.

When it comes to exercise, regular sustained (at least an hour of) brisk aerobic exercise three times a week will help raise your testosterone levels. Daily is better. Cycling, Hiking, Walking, Swimming, and Running are all good aerobic exercises to increase testosterone levels. This aerobic exercise should be at a level to increase your heart rate. Why not try being a part of a sports team?!

Let’s talk about recovery. Recovery is an essential component of weight training and long aerobic exercise. If you overtrain - meaning you don’t allow your body to recuperate adequately between training sessions - your circulating testosterone levels can plunge by as much as 40 percent, according to a study at the University of North Carolina.

Interestingly, completing and facing challenges is definitely something to engage in if you want to boost testosterone. Competition raises the sense of mission, sharpens your focus, increases metabolism, gets juices flowing and with it, testosterone production. John Gray says males need to constantly regenerate and restore testosterone levels, since they are so easily depleted by high-stress, modern life, as well as dysfunctional relationship dynamics. So how does John suggest you rebuild your testosterone levels? By going out into the world and “taking cave time.” This means tackling challenges and engaging in problem solving, since men are biologically wired to conquer their environment. You have to do something that honors your biology and the fundamental elements of what makes us human. “Do something that scares the shit out of you every day,” says Ancestral Supplements founder, Brian Johnson.

Next up is diet, which is of course, extremely important for your hormones, as the food you eat determines whether or not your body will optimize insulin production. When you’re eating too many processed carbs, sugar, and grains, your body produces excess insulin, and that excess insulin removes testosterone from your bloodstream. So if you notice you’ve gained that all too common spare “tire” in your midsection, that’s a sign that your body is suppressing testosterone production. Visceral fat around the abdominal organs indicates there is not only excess estrogen in your body, but excess inflammatory hormones as well, which is why cutting junk out of your diet and lowering insulin is so important. You want to put the focus on superfoods: organ meats, pastured eggs, SMASH fish, shellfish with zinc, like oysters, monounsaturated fats (seeds & nut butters, avocado, and coconut). Some people don’t know how to prepare organ meats or just aren’t into the taste, but that’s ok, because there are great supplements out there, like my MOFO Supplement. I also have some great tips for preparing organ meats and making them palatable in my cookbooks, Keto Cooking For Cool Dudes and Carnivore Cooking For Cool Dudes. One of my staple recipes is a grass-fed liver burger and an omelet made with egg yolks and sardines - packed with nutrition, delicious, and easy to make. Even though I was already eating a super healthy diet, upping my organ meat game really made a huge difference in my energy levels, and it’s one of the best ways to increase nutrient density in your diet.

And a quick note about protein: obviously, you want to ensure you’re getting enough of it, but here’s the thing: it’s actually quite difficult to become protein deficient (unless you’re following a very restrictive diet, like a plant-food only diet). But if you do become protein deficient, Chris Kresser notes that you’ll start experiencing intense cravings for high-protein foods. You’ll likely become emaciated, and your hair will fall out. This is when it’s time for a Liver Burger.

That’s it for now! Stay tuned for part three and four, and if you’ve been trying out these tips for increasing testosterone, please drop an email or comment below to share your experience so far!

Timestamps:

The best form of strength training is anything that will emphasize compound movements that focus on the lower body. [02:41]

What would be a simple workout protocol? [06:17]

A partial motion rep is a good way to stimulate important androgen receptors. [08:47]

Cardiovascular exercise should always be done at or below your maximum aerobic heart rate. [10:28]

It’s very important to make sure you recover fully no matter what your exercise is. [14:02]

The male needs to constantly regenerate and restore testosterone levels by competition. [17:01]

Diet components are important for boosting testosterone. [19:44]

Get rid of the fat around the belly. [21:27]

Add organ meats, like liver to your diet. Also add SMASH fish. [22:18]

Mono-unsaturated fats coming from nuts and seeds are important. [27:11]

When you become protein deficient, it will tank your testosterone. [29:45]

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