subject: Best Way To Gain Muscle - Give Your Testosterone Levels A Boost [print this page] Best Way To Gain Muscle - Give Your Testosterone Levels A Boost
Testosterone, it's the holy grail of muscle growth. Simply put, testosterone is the single most critical muscle building hormone in your body and is one of the main limiting factors that ultimately determines how much muscle you can build. The higher the levels of your testosterone are, the easier and quicker you'll be able to burn fat and gain muscle.
Here are six simple and practical things you can implement right away into your training and nutrition program and boost your body's testosterone levels naturally.
Number 1 - Use basic compound exercises as the cornerstone of your workouts.
To boost your body's testosterone levels, you need to focus on big basic compound exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses, rows, chin ups, dips, overhead presses, stiff-legged deadlifts, and lunges. These are the exercises that are going to subject your body to the greatest amount of stress possible at the gym. Being subjected to great amounts of exercise stress will force your body to increase its testosterone production as a natural adaptive response.
Number 2 - Train with a high level of intensity.
Keep in mind that a low intensity training is not going to do anything to your body's testosterone levels. If you really want to boost your body's testosterone levels, you've got to push yourself really hard when performing those exercises.
Number 3 - Train your legs equally as hard as you train your upper body.
You have to always keep in mind that muscle growth is not a localized event that happens at the level of the specific muscles that you're training during your workout. Muscles growth occurs as your whole body if forced to adapt to the stresses it is being placed under. And there's no better way to have this "whole body stress" than through the use of hard intense leg workouts.
Number 4 - Increase your essential fatty acids (EFA) intake.
EFAs such as omega-3 are known as the good fats. They are most abundant in nuts, seeds, avocados, cold water fish, and healthy oils (like canola oil). Aside from the whole host of health benefits that they offer, EFAs also play a role in keeping your body's testosterone levels up. If your fat intake goes too low, your testosterone levels will go down with it.
Number 5 - Decrease your consumption of alcohol.
Fact is, alcohol decreases protein synthesis, increases fat storage, depletes your body of vitamins and minerals, disrupts muscle recovery, and dehydrates you. Additionally, it also has a considerable (negative) impact on your body's testosterone levels, too. If you want to really build muscle fast, you should try your best to stay away from alcohol. If it can't be avoided, just be conscious enough to take it in low frequency and in small amounts.
Number 6 - Make sure you get adequate sleep each and every single night.
As a weight trainer you are probably already aware that a good and adequate night's sleep is very good for muscle recovery and development. But did you know that a testosterone boost is also among the many wonderful benefits you can get from having adequate sleep at night? Well, it is. So make sure you get adequate sleep every night. And if you feel you need more rest, then get more rest.
