How to Raise Testosterone Levels Naturally (from The Ultimate Guide To Male Enhancement)

The following is a chapter taken from the book: The Ultimate Guide To Male Enhancement.

Edited for content

How to Raise Testosterone Levels Naturally
By Mr. Paul Becker of http://www.naturalsize.com/

Testosterone is a male hormone that is essential for building larger muscles. It is important for manufacturing new protein within the muscle cell, which allows it to increase in size.

One of the things that can make the difference between a “quick gainer” and a “hard gainer” is testosterone production. Testosterone production can vary substantially among trainees, and the ones that have the higher testosterone level will make better gains.

This report will help you to up your own natural testosterone production so that you can maximize your size and strength gains without having to resort to illegal and possibly dangerous steroid drugs.

Exercise

Both the lack of physical activity and excessive physical activity (over training) will result in decreased levels of testosterone. Exercise effects testosterone directly by stimulating the pituitary gland and the testes and it probably also raises levels by slowing down the normal breakdown of testosterone.

The duration, intensity, frequency and timing of exercise will determine the circulating levels of testosterone.  Testosterone levels increase most with short intense bursts, while it decreases with prolonged activity especially that of frequent endurance training. During endurance training, testosterone is needed to maintain muscle but frequent extended training doesn’t allow for repair and recovery of testosterone and tissue damage occurs.

Testosterone is released in higher concentrations by using heavy weights (5 to 10 rep range) using rest periods of 3 to 5 mins between sets. Basic, multi-joint exercises (like squats, deadlifts, barbell rows and dips) cause a much greater hormone release then isolation exercises (like flies, lateral raises, concentration curls).

Only when you use a large percentage of your muscle mass will you get maximum testosterone release. So, spend most of your training time, working the largest muscle groups (legs, back and chest) by using heavy weights in the squat, deadlift, barbell row and bench press or dips.

Normally testosterone is the 30% higher in the morning than the evening. So, if possible, train in the morning and reap the benefits of those naturally elevated levels.

Studies show that testosterone levels will elevate with exercise for about 45 to 60 minutes. After this time period, cortisol levels begin to increase and testosterone levels will decline. This decrease has been detected for up to 6 days.

Because you require testosterone for repair and growth, do not train for more than 45 to 60 minutes at a single session. If you feel like you want to exercise or train more, split sessions are recommended. Also do not lift weights and perform aerobic training at the same time. It is also a good idea to vary your workouts and cycle them throughout the year.

Diet

You are what you eat! If you want to keep “juiced with testosterone” it is extremely important to follow these dietary
rules:

● Eat moderate amounts of protein. Protein in Latin means “above all else.” Protein stimulates the hormone glucagon and the anabolic (muscle building) responses important for adequate testosterone release.

● Eat more vegetables and fruit and limit excessive carbohydrate intake especially of simple sugars and starches (grains, potatoes, pasta). Excess intake of carbohydrates especially those that raise blood sugar rapidly create chronically elevated levels of the hormone insulin and cortisol. These two hormones oppose the action of testosterone and diminish its production.

● Eat Fat! The reason, Jack Sprat was so lean was he ate no fat. Essential fats such as the omega 3 fatty acids found in fish and flaxseed as well as saturated fats are essential for normal testosterone production. All steroid hormones are produced from cholesterol and when fats are deficient in the diet, this process will be inhibited.

● Studies clearly indicate that low fat diets result in lower testosterone levels while those higher in protein, lower in carbohydrate and moderate in fat cause the greatest sustained levels of testosterone and growth hormone.

● A recent study demonstrated the influence of diet on pre and post exercise testosterone and cortisol. After exercise with bench press and squat to failure, testosterone and cortisol were measured. Those men who were on a diet with a higher protein/carbohydrate ratio and percent fat content had the largest increase in
testosterone and the smallest rise in cortisol.

You must train and eat smart to minimize the catabolic and maximize the anabolic effects of exercise. If your diet is very low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates and fiber, your testosterone levels may remain very low and you will never make the changes in muscle mass and strength that you desire.

Also, don’t take anything, which produces estrogen; these being such as Soya, Cannabis or Alcohol.

Sunbathing

Sunbathing greatly aids recovery from exercise and can naturally raise our testosterone levels by 200% after nude exposure (yes, 200% and drug free!). You will also look more defined, carry less body fat and have that healthy glow when you spend some time in the sun.

Emotional Stress

Emotional stress is a frequent cause of decreased testosterone levels. When the “fight of flight” alarm reaction system is active, stress hormones such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol are released. These hormones that are released to protect our lives have catabolic activity. This means they catabolize (breakdown) body stores of fat and protein to be used for acute resources of energy and immune response. They go even one step farther and inhibit all anabolic processes as well. Because in life or death situations the body does not need to build muscle, eat, have sexual thoughts etc. processes that require vital life energy, all anabolic (building) processes including testosterone are shut down.

This was a very effective system when it evolved. For hundreds of thousands of years the threats to the body were short-lived and very acute such as being eaten or attacked. Today stresses are not only prolonged but perceived in our mind. And this chronic stress causes an over activation of our adrenal system and the catabolic process. In fact, chronic catabolism is not only the greatest cause of premature aging and cardiovascular disease but it severely inhibits testosterone function making it almost impossible to build muscle and strength.

So, if you want to really grow it is essential that you follow the advice, “Don’t sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff”, stay well rested and take your time eating frequent small meals. This will help normalize cortisol levels and allow your anabolic system to take over again.

Use the techniques exactly as the book says, for about 15 to 30 minutes every day and you will be surprised at how much of a difference it will make in your training and in your life.  NOTE: Learn How to Build Muscle Mass and Get Super Strong Naturally! At naturalsize.com

The Ultimate Guide to Male Enhancement

 

Eat to Build Muscle – Foods and Diet Plan

The Bodybuilder’s Diet: 8 New Rules of Muscle Building

Pure gains.

By Jeff Csatari

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Men’sHealth

Edited for content

You can crank out heavy squats and curls until your quads and biceps scream for mercy, and still you can’t seem to build the muscle you want.

What’s going on?

If you’re struggling to grow muscle despite your dedication in the gym, your problem most likely isn’t your workout, but rather your diet and lifestyle.

Building muscle is a complex science. It’s a coalescence of your lifting, your nutrition, your hormones, and your rest. So, let’s assume you’re doing everything right in the gym—following a good program and pushing yourself hard. Keep it up.

But now let’s focus on the other stuff. Are you getting enough protein and calories? Are you supporting your endocrine system properly? Are you getting quality sleep? Tweaking these crucial variables will result in the kind of muscle that fills out a T-shirt—and then some.

“Nutrition is the cornerstone in building lean muscle,” says nutritionist and exercise physiologist Jim White, R.D. “If the protein isn’t there, it’s not going to help your muscles grow. If the carbs aren’t there, you’re going to feel sluggish. If the fat isn’t there, it’s going to affect energy levels and overall health.”

In short, it’s time to master the soft art of building hard muscle—meal time. Your diet needs to be strategically choreographed to accelerate the repair-and-grow process that follows that strenuous workout session you’re so proud of.

White knows the right formula. A former skinny athlete, he was a self-described “hard gainer,” frustrated by his inability to grow bigger and stronger and run faster. Then he took a hard look at his crappy diet: He ate like a bird. Rarely touched fruits and vegetables. He gravitated toward sugary processed junk.

His nutrition training opened his eyes to his problem, and he changed his body and his life. He started eating six meals a day, increasing his daily calories to 3,500 and began experimenting with different percentages of macronutrients until he found the sweet spot.

Suddenly, his energy skyrocketed, making his time in the gym more productive. Now he’s jacked—he added 70 pounds of lean muscle and saw huge strength gains. The guy who struggled to bench 65 pounds can now press 295.

White shares his story of total body transformation and the plan that got him there in the new book Men’s Health Best Meals for Muscle. Here’s a sample of White’s muscle building plan, below. To finesse your own massive growth spurt, grab a copy of Best Meals for Muscle; it’s full of White’s expert advice and tasty, easy-to-cook meals with the right macronutrient mix to fuel your transition.

1. Eat More Protein

The actual process of growing muscle, when cells rush in to rebuild your torn-down muscle fibers, happens not in the gym but after your workout, when you rest. And the composition of what you eat before and after you stress that muscle can mean the difference between building up the muscle or destroying it.

Making sure you’re eating enough protein is of paramount importance for two reasons:

1. Proteins deliver the amino acids that form the building blocks of muscle. When intense weightlifting breaks down muscle protein synthesis provides the proteins needed to repair that muscle and spur it to grow bigger.

2. Your body also looks to proteins to supply amino acids for producing hormones like insulin and human growth hormone, which can further drain protein reserves. A higher protein diet ensures you have more than enough to go around and shifts your body into an anabolic mode, one that builds tissues rather than breaking them down.

While the recommended daily allowance for protein is less than half a gram per pound of bodyweight, you should double that to a gram per pound of bodyweight to build muscle. That’s the maximum amount your body can use in a day, according to a landmark study in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

So, for example, a 160-pound man should try to consume 160 grams of protein a day in order to fuel muscle growth. One hundred sixty grams of protein looks like this: 8 ounces of chicken breast, 1 cup of cottage cheese, a roast beef sandwich, two eggs, a glass of milk, and 2 ounces of peanuts.

2. Consume More Calories

If you’re weight training to bulk up, don’t eat like a guy who’s trying to lose weight. Growing a pound of muscle requires about 2,800 calories. That means you may have to overeat to consume enough calories to build size.

In fact, in some studies, researchers found that lifters with the greatest gains in muscle were the men who were the biggest eaters. White’s plan calls for boosting your calories to 3,000 a day. That’s a lot of food to consume in three squares, so White recommends you . . .

Eat Every 3 Hours (roughly)

By spreading your calories out over, say, six meals spaced about 3 hours apart, you’ll avoid that full-belly feeling that can make you sluggish, and you’ll ensure your muscles get consistently stoked with protein and carbs. Your body needs a constant supply of macronutrients and micronutrients to operate properly, especially when it is being taxed by intense exercise.

Shoot for about 30 grams of protein per meal. That’ll get most people into the proper range for muscle growth.

Get the Right Mix of Macros

Protein is critical, but it shouldn’t be a soloist when you’re orchestrating a plan for building mass. The other macronutrients, namely carbohydrates and healthy fats, influence muscle growth, too. By getting your macro ratio right, you can expect to see your gains skyrocket and avoid adding body fat even with the increase in calories, says White. Best Meals for Muscle makes hitting that holy grail ratio of 50 percent carbs, 25 percent protein, and 25 percent fat easy by translating it into ideal meal examples (and recipes) you can use to fuel your day.

Hydrate for More T

Exercise-induced dehydration slows your motor neurons. Not only will you feel fatigue sooner during a workout than you otherwise would, but your performance slips as well.

What’s more, a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that dehydrated weight lifters produced more of the stress hormone cortisol, while reducing the release of testosterone, the body’s best muscle builder.

Find Your Whey

Right after your workout, drink a whey protein shake that delivers about 25 grams of protein per serving. Whey digests more quickly than other types of protein, so it hits your muscles faster. Whey protein also has the highest concentration of the branched-chain amino acid leucine, which is required for protein synthesis.

Have a Banana Before a Workout

Or some Greek yogurt. Or a low-sugar sports drink. All are rich in electrolytes, which help your muscles contract. Exercise depletes electrolytes fast. Be sure you don’t run short and cramp up.

Time Your Meals

If you’re serious about packing on more muscle, get serious about being more disciplined about when you eat. You can start by creating a meal plan and sticking to strict meal times. Begin refueling shortly after you wake up and stop eating three hours before going to bed. Remember, your body repairs and builds muscles as you sleep. Eating just before bed can disrupt your sleep and throw a monkey wrench into that crucial repair process.

Men’s Health Best Meals for Muscle is full of ready-to-serve meal plans and recipes that take the guesswork out of feeding your muscles the right amounts at the right times.