Is there a way to naturally increase testosterone levels?

Hello everyone.

So I came here in search of a way to naturally increase my testosterone levels. I am not interested in taking steroids. Legal, safe, inexpensive supplements are ok however.

After some research I believe my levels might be low due to stress, alcohol consumption, diet, lack of exercise, and possibly just a low production rate.

I am 25 years old, 6'2 and about 170 lbs. I was a late bloomer, and always fairly slender. I have been very physically active in my younger years with sports, exercise and a very physically demanding job in ironworking. Lately, not so much.

I've noticed I have a diminished sex drive, lack of energy, motivation and confidence. I can probably contribute this to my lifestyle which lately has been very stressful, increased alcohol consumption and lack of a good diet and rest/exercise.

There is also the fact that I was a late bloomer, I didn't grow my first mustache until I was over 18. I had a huge growth spurt late in high school. But I never got muscular and still have trouble filling in my beard.

I believe that maybe my body has always been behind on test production and I am looking for ways to boost my levels without using steroids. Besides the obvious like cutting out the alcohol and stress, what kind of diet and habits should I be practicing to help increase my body's production.

Furthermore, am I even on the right track? Are these symptoms of low testosterone levels? I would go to the doctors and have them check me out but alas I lost my health care along with my job.

Any information would be appreciated! Thanks in advance

high protein diet and compound lifts 3-4 days a week.

I don't routinely exercise or have a gym membership. I've tried before, I am a seriously hard gainer. And I despise drinking those horrible shakes.

I am considering trying again with a different approach. The price to keep up with the diet was also hard to maintain, and with little to no results in over two months I gave up.

A tried/tested diet and exercise plan is what I need. Specifically for a hard gainer.

I'm not familiar with compound lifting but to take a guess does that mean heavy/serious lifting?

nobody is a hard gainer. You're an under-eater if anything.

Eat enough protein, fat, and carbs and put your muscles through the appropriate amount of stress/strain (systematically tearing them under the load of the weight) and your body will kick in and respond to this trauma with the available resources to repair it. Repair it enough times and you will notice your 'baseline' day to day strength improve.

Along with this your body will start signaling to your testicles to produce more testosterone to support the increase in muscle mass. More testosterone means more confidence and higher libido. Alpha.

How can you be a confident human being that lacks muscular strength? We like to trick ourselves in this world that physical strength is no longer necessary to live well. But, the fact is that physical strength is intimately connected with personal satisfaction and happiness. I have found at least there is a very tight correlation with how well I feel like I can handle most situations and how well I am developed physically.

Physical strength obtains once the muscles have increased to a point where the leverages are better/sharper (this is created by the peaks in the muscle).

Compound lifts develop physical strength better than everything else. They are called compound because the movement is complex and requires the activation of many different muscles at one time. For example, consider the back squat. A movement that requires stabilizing a large amount of weight on your back and lowering your ass closer to the floor with your feet spaced a bit more than shoulder width apart. This requires activation of your shoulder girdle as a stabilizer, back muscles, core abdominal muscles, and of course the hip/glute/quad/hamstring muscles as prime movers.

squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bent row, pullups are your ticket.

and eating. a lot.

You're right about eating. I used to have a good appetite, but lately eating and sleeping is a chore.

I routinely go an entire day eating two pieces of toast and having a cup of coffee. I have no appetite anymore. I have a hard time finishing my plate.

Is there something I can do to increase my appetite?

Thanks for the advice. I truly appreciate it.

if you start lifting heavy then your appetite will kick in. Appetite is largely controlled through hormonal processes. There are hormones that are secreted literally from the lining of your stomach to trigger physiological responses that cue the sensation of being hungry.

You can supplement with these hormones (GHRP-6, ghrelin would both work to stimulate appetite) or you can just start working out hard and stimulate it that way.

If you supplement anyways you NEED to work out hard, because you'll eat a lot more and if you're not lifting hard then it will just turn into fat. No point for a male in our society to carry much fat at all (maybe if you live in Antarctica or are a woman nursing a baby it might be desirable :D).

Once you start eating big it becomes easier. Get yourself up early and have a HUUUGE breakfast. I guarantee that by like 11 you'll be freaking starving.

And for naturally increasing test you can always watch some porn- that'll increase test levels. Sleeping well, eating well and exercising all will help lots.

Good advice guys, it all starts with proper diet.

Gaian Planes said:

...and compound lifts 3-4 days a week.

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Quoted for truth. Up until a little over a year ago, I never seriously did powercleans, deadlifts, or squats. After reading how incoorperating these lifts will help release natural test and GH levels, I finally got with the program.

I've noticed the effects of higher test levels ie. more strength overall, fat loss, just a better sense of well being.

Match those compound lifts with a high calorie/protein diet, get some decent sleep, and try to watch the booze intake= likely more natural test.

Squeeze you nuts and jack off lots... works for me

stevo279 said:

Squeeze you nuts and jack off lots... works for me

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That ain't gonna do shit. What all the above posters said will help. Then you could take supplements such as zma, tribulus, or dhea. I wouldn't bother with tribulus or dhea, because they would probably increase you estrogen levels also.

Tribulus is garbage and DHEA works better for people in their late 30's and 40's. I also have to disagree with the peptide recommendation (GHRP-6). If he doesn't even work out now, there is no reason to be taking peptides, growth hormones, or steroids of any sort.

Stick with a high protein diet with healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. Lots of veggies. Whole grains. Nuts, fish (fish oil), and legumes. Be sure to eat often. Breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day. Try to eat every 3 hours, or 5-7x daily. Even if you have to eat 1/2 your meal now, and save the other half for a few hours from now. As you continue to do this, you will begin to get hungrier.

Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night, preferably 8.

Drink lots of water. I'd recommend at least a gallon a day.

And chill with the alcohol. It's ok to have a cold one every once in a while, but don't make it a habit. Alcohol will inhibit test production.

And hit the weights. If time is an issue, you can very easily do a full body routine comprised of compound exercises 3x a week (at least 1 day rest between), and be in and out of the gym in 45 minutes - 1 hour, seeing great results. Pull ups, rows, squats, overhead presses, bench, deadlifts, and call it a day. That's plenty to grow on. Push yourself and lift heavy!! Don't kill yourself, but don't run around with the little pink dumbbells cuz that won't do anything for you.

If you stick with it, your test/GH levels will increase immediately, and you will see gains and start feeling better within two weeks, I guarantee it. You should be able to increase weights and make gains in strength week after week for several months, if not a year+.

If and when you're ready for supplementation, stay away from the peptides (and steroids and other hormones), but you can opt for some natural test boosters. Trans-Resveratrol, Divanil (Stinging Nettle Root), Icariin, Coleus Forskohlii, and ZMA have all been proven to increase free test naturally, and would work great accompanied by a proper diet and strength training regimen. *I'm not telling you to go out and buy these supplements right now, but once you've been at it a few months, and have your diet and training down pact, they can assist you further.

Best of luck.

Thanks for the additional advice guys.

I'm trying to do this naturally, no steroids. But harmless supplements are fine.

I can't afford a gym membership right now, however I've got a pair of adjustable dumb bells and plenty of time seeing as I'm unemployed like the rest of America.

I don't know how much I can accomplish with just a set of bells but if you guys know of some exercises I can do at home I would love to hear them.

I hit the weights for the first time in a while on Monday. I did several tricep exercises and some curls, 3 sets of 12 each. Its 2 days later and holy shit my tri's are still killing me.

Oh and I don't know where I saw it but adding peanut butter to my protein shake was great advice. That fake sugar taste turns my stomach and a couple table spoons of peanut butter makes a huge difference.

If all you have is a pair of dumbbells you should probably also do a lot of bodyweight exercises; pushups, pull ups, chin ups, squats, jumps, renegade rows, step ups and variations of the same or others.

With the dumbbells try doing dumbell squats, dumbbell deadlifts and the like. Not nearly as effective as a bar but it's a start.

And EAT! That's the key. Make sure it is high protein and not just shit.

tricep extentions and kickbacks are alright with slightly lighter dumbells. Do some rows and all the bodyweight stuff listed above. Go for a run in the AM- do your weights in the evening (6pm or something).

Gaian Planes said:

nobody is a hard gainer. You're an under-eater if anything.
How can you be a confident human being that lacks muscular strength? We like to trick ourselves in this world that physical strength is no longer necessary to live well. But, the fact is that physical strength is intimately connected with personal satisfaction and happiness. I have found at least there is a very tight correlation with how well I feel like I can handle most situations and how well I am developed physically.

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omg this must be the stupidest thing i've read all day.

if you need to be strong in order to be happy then you just have issues

look at the most successfull ppl in our society today. then take a look at all the steroid-injected junkies. they r just a complete failure. you might say yes but they get the blonde with the big boobs but c'mon thats not the kind of girls one should be interested in

i'm not saying working out for the sake and satisfaction it gives in itself is bad i'm just saying as a man there is really absolutely no need to take steroids whatsoever, unless u wanna be a bouncer or have no self-esteem at all (see a shrink)

@OP go see a doctor and he'll have u make an analysis to see whats up with ur testosterone lvls. also there are different ranges of testosterone for men and as long as its not a medical issue it doesnt make a difference on which side u are. u are who u are!

^ Is physical strength necessary in order to be happy? Of course not! Just go look at stories of yogis who have attained bliss and enlightenment (they are twigs and could not even bench their own bodyweight).

Mark Rippetoe has said it better than I could. This will explain my own personal view and hopefully clear up your misunderstanding.

Rip said:

Physical strength is the most important thing in life. This is true whether we want it to be or not. As humanity has developed throughout history, physical strength has become less critical to our daily existence, but no less important to our lives. Our strength, more than any other thing we possess, still determines the quality and the quantity of our time here in these bodies. Whereas previously our physical strength determined how much food we ate and how warm and dry we stayed, it now merely determines how well we function in these new surroundings we have crafted for ourselves as our culture has accumulated. But we are still animals - our physical existence is, in the final analysis, the only one that actually matters. A weak man is not as happy as that same man would be if here were strong. This reality is offensive to some people who would like the intellectual or spiritual to take precedence. It is instructive to see what happens to these very people as their squat strength goes up.

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of course he will say that, he's a bodybuilder.

if you feel that you need to be stronger in order to achieve something (success, women, whatever) then of course you'll be happier if you get stronger. but the root of this kind of thinking is just plainly wrong

here's a movie for ya: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1151309/

please tell me if any of those seem happy

i personally quit bodybuilding about 2 years ago and now i'm about 10kg less than before, really slender. but guess what, i'm happier than i was and overall more successful? why? one simple word. confidence

so if u go around telling ppl they need to get stronger in order to be happy thats just bad advice

like buddha said, true happiness comes from within and from accepting urself the way u are

actually i have no idea if he said it but he would've probably

LMAO! Mark Rippetoe is not a bodybuilder. He trains people on the fundamental compound lifts (bench, deadlift, squat, OH press) in order to increase their physical strength.

When did Buddha say "true happiness comes from within and from accepting the way u are".

I've studied Mahayana Buddhism for 9 years now and have never heard anything resembling this kind of idea. Sounds like some pop 80s acceptance psychology BS to me.

But, again, you seem to have misunderstood me. So, I will just slowly back out of this inane conversation at this point :D

it's not really inane since i just learned a new word. so thanks for that.