Testosterone 101: 5 things that decrease it, 10 ways that you can increase it, and why you need to do it.

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I didn’t really even understand what testosterone was until recently.

Yes, maybe it’s sad to admit, but honestly, I didn’t think that it was really something that I needed to think about.

I was wrong. There are some startling facts about men and testosterone that I believe every man needs to know, and tune into.

Something happened to me about 6 years ago, right after I had graduated college. I was depressed, lethargic, and slow. There was no way I could do anything, even if I wanted to. Physically, I wasn’t as strong, I was gaining weight.

All telltale signs of Low testosterone.

I didn’t think anything of it, but some things in my life changed for the better and all of those areas improved.

I believed it to be the exercise and physical fitness that was helping. (It was, but there is a lot more)

Later, I found out (Just recently) that my symptoms were more related to low testosterone and not due to anything else.

I am writing this article on Testosterone because I think it will help the vast majority of men, who might be dealing with the same things.

What is Testosterone?

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages the development of male sexual characteristics, stimulates the activity of the male secondary sex characteristics, and prevents changes in them following castration.

As you can see, it is the lifeblood so to speak for men.

Like I said, I had never really paid much attention to this topic until recently. I was having some issues in my own life that I noticed, but couldn’t really understand or put a finger on it.

You know, the tall tale signs:

  • No sex drive
  • No morning wood (Boner)
  • Depression
  • More emotional

Those are a few things that I noticed personally. I also got really, really depressed something that I had not experienced since I was in high school.

How does Testosterone work?

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 Testosterone is a group of hormones called androgen's. Men produce them, and women produce them. When you hear androgen, you might think anabolism which might get you thinking ....steroids.

You would be right, Testosterone is essentially a natural steroid. It is produced in the sex organs and a little in the adrenal glands (adrenaline, go figure).

 There are 3 different kinds of testosterone in the body:

  • Albumin - Protein that binds testosterone
  • SHBG - Sex Hormone Binding Globulin - Protein that binds testosterone
  • Free Testosterone - Not protein bound

If you want to know your testosterone levels, and you should do this if you are having any of the symptoms above.

There are two ways you can find out:

  • Do a full testosterone Panel, this tests all three types
  • Only do a test for free testosterone

Here is a study from 1996 that shows average Testosterone levels in men from age 25-99.

As you can see, there are two obvious significant drops in Free testosterone and Total Testosterone. 

  • From age 25-35 (***This is when most men struggle***)
  • From age 65-75

I felt that drop when I hit about age 30, it was huge. I was lethargic, depressed, had low sex drive, was overweight (Added Fat) and even had a bout of depression that got a hold of me that I couldn't explain.

There was a study done by researchers at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science that tested the effects of testosterone injections on participants' ability to lose fat and gain muscle. 

Guess what they found?

They found a correlation between body fat percentage and testosterone.

  • The higher the testosterone, the lower the body fat percentage

One of the first things that I did after realizing this all time low in my life was start an fitness program. I began doing strength training, and within 60-90 days, I was not only in the best shape I had ever been in, but my body fat percentage was reduced, and I felt all the effects of optimal testosterone levels.

Since then, I have dialed in on a few of the essential things that a man can do to increase testosterone naturally.

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However, in order to know how to increase or maintain optimal testosterone, we have to know what lowers it first.

Things that Lower Testosterone

There are several things that lower testosterone, but I will give you five most important ones.

  • Diet - Eating a poor diet is one of the biggest impacts on testosterone
  • Lack of Exercise - Over 14% body fat? You are only hurting yourself
  • Alcohol - Heavy alcohol consumption is related to lower T. Be conservative and don't drink every day. Or just avoid it all together.
  • Fat - You have to have good fats. Avocados, Coconut Oil, Nuts, and Fish are all good.
  • Avoid Plastics, Soy and Flax-seed - You don't have to cut them completely out (except Plastics if you can), but minimize consumption

10 Ways to Increase Testosterone Naturally

Now that we know what decreases testosterone, we get into the fun part of figuring out how to increase it, or optimize it.

  • Diet - Yes this is a repeat, but it needs to be said again. Having the right diet changes the game drastically. So what are the right kinds of foods to eat?
    • Red meat
    • Cheese (Cottage Cheese too)
    • Eggs
    • Olive and coconut oil
    • Nuts
    • Avocado, and peanut butter

Of course, this doesn't mean that your diet should only consist of these things, and you still need to monitor your calorie intake.

  • Sleep - Yep, get 8 hours (I need to take my own advice on this one), better sleep helps your hormones. On the flip-side, don't get too much sleep, or it will have the reverse effect.
  • Have more sex - Don't be a masturbating monkey, or a sex driven dip-wad. I mean, have great enjoyable sex with your partner. Men who do this experience a six-fold increase in T levels.
  • Get more Zinc - This helps block cortisol levels and increases T. You can also use a supplement from Prime Lab's: Get 60 Tablets of Testosterone Booster Here
  • High Intensity Interval Training(HIIT) or Metabolic conditioning - CrossFit WOD's usually fit the bill, also try 8 Weeks to SEALFIT.


  • Strength Training - Big lifts coupled with HIIT are amazing. That's why CrossFit is so popular, and has real positive effects on the body. Focus on the Big 4: Deadlift, Squat, Bench, Press.
  • Intermittent Fasting - Personally, I do not do this frequently, but it does help regulate hormones and prevents recurring drops in T levels. If you are interested in this check out: The Warrior Diet
  • Reduce Sugar Intake - In fact, just get rid of sugars other than naturally occurring sugars in fruit. It doesn't ever help you. Sugar spikes insulin, and spikes in insulin lead to lower T.
  • Vitamin D - Get the F off the couch, and get outside. Or eat tuna, and eggs.
  • Compete and Win - Winning is Guaranteed to boost testosterone levels. I love competing, and I am always looking for a challenge. Something that I can WIN at. Winners have higher testosterone levels. This is proof that mental drive can lead to physical improvement.

You may or may not be having symptoms of low Testosterone, but it doesn't matter. If you can do anything to bolster your T levels or optimize it, then why wouldn't you?

I was having the lethargic, depressed, high fat issues, and I was consuming alcohol on a nightly basis for sometime between ages 27-30, and it showed.

My goal is to help you be the man that you were made to be, and if I withheld this information from you I would be doing you a disservice.

Let me know in the comments below if this has helped you?

Have you had any of these symptoms of low T? What did you do about it?

- Stephen



Dude Flexing - photo credit: 3rnald0 Bodybuilder flexing biceps via photopin (license)
Testosterone - photo credit: dr. Romero Otero testosterona via photopin (license)