6-Pack Abs Now!

In the last part of our testosterone boosting tips I’ll give 3 simple concepts:

1) Place the majority of your emphasis in the gym on big, basic compound movements.

These basic exercises will place your body under the greatest amount of stress in the gym, and this will force your body to secrete higher amounts of testosterone. Isolation exercises can have their place, but compound movements should be the cornerstone of your workouts.

2) Always train with full effort and intensity.

Regardless of what type of excercise, you must always push yourself hard in the gym by taking all of your sets to the point of concentric muscular failure. The more stress you place on your body in the gym (without crossing the point of recovery), the greater your testosterone production will be.

3) Train your legs equally as hard as your upper body.

Leg training can be extremely difficult to execute with a high level of intensity, but the rewards are great when you do. Because the legs contain your largest muscle groups, you get the most “bang for your buck” by doing more heavy leg work. Push yourself  hard on basic leg exercises like the squat and leg press in order to stimulate the release of testosterone.

(Part I of the Series)

Part II of my Testosterone Boosting series is about easy diet changes you can make to increase your levels.

1) Increase your consumption of Essential Fatty Acids.

Most people structure their muscle-building diet  following the old rule of “high protein and low-fat”. Big mistake!

Fats play a crucial role in the muscle-building process and have a direct impact on testosterone levels. You should be consuming about 25% of your daily calories from healthy, unsaturated fat sources such as peanuts, avocados and fish as well as nutritional oils like flax seed, olive and canola. (Look into “MUFA’s” to learn more about these foods.)

2) Increase your consumption of cruciferous vegetables.

These vegetables have been shown to have a significant estrogen-reducing effect, thereby raising testosterone. Some good choices are broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, turnips, cabbage and brussel sprouts.

3) Eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day.

Rather than eating the traditional “3 square meals a day”, try consuming 5-7 smaller meals spaced out every 2-3 hours. This will keep your body in an anabolic state at all times and will keep testosterone levels peaked.

4) Reduce your intake of soy.

Soy protein raises your body’s levels of estrogen (the main female hormone). When the body’s production of estrogen increases, testosterone levels plummet. Avoid soy products as much as possible in order to keep your estrogen levels low and testosterone levels high. I don’t recommend supplements for most people, but if you are taking any, you should be aware of your soy-protein intake from some of them.

5) Limit alcohol consumption.

Sorry to tell you but alcohol has been shown to have quite a dramatic effect on testosterone levels, so try to limit your “binge drinking” nights and keep your alcohol consumption in moderation.

(Part III of the Series)

The most important hormone involved in building muscle is Testosterone. It is also one of the limiting factors that determines how much muscle a person can gain.

While we all produce different levels of this hormone, the more you can generate naturally the better your weight loss/muscle gain results. In addition to increasing your lean muscle mass, raised testosterone levels also have the following benefits…

• Decreased body fat levels
• Increased sex drive and sexual endurance
• Improved mood
• Decreased levels of “bad” cholesterol

In this series I’m going to cover some basic, scientifically backed methods that will allow you to naturally raise your body’s levels of testosterone. Part I covers some simple lifestyle tips; Part II talks about diet and Part III addresses some changes to incorporate in your training routine.

Lifestyle Tips:
1) Lower your levels of stress.

Stress contributes to the release of a highly catabolic hormone called cortisol which has a highly negative effect on testosterone levels.

Long term stress is a life shortener – get a handle on it now. There are many good resources available on the Internet.

2) Increase your sexual activity.

This makes up for the “Drink Less Alcohol” tip in Part II of this series. Sexual stimulation causes the body to increase the production of oxytocin which then increases endorphin production (the “feel-good” chemical), and this has a direct impact on testosterone secretion. It doesn’t hurt that sex usually puts you in a good mood as well.

3) Get adequate sleep every night.

Failing to provide your body with proper sleep each night will raise cortisol levels, and this in turn will decrease your testosterone production. A solid, restful 8 hours of sleep every night will keep your cortisol levels in check.

(Part II of the Series)

Guys. There’s 3 Weight Loss Tips for Men  you want to do to increase your fat loss potential. Even if you’re spending time lifting, you should make sure these are covered.

Tip #1: Include cardio excercise in your program

I know guys hate being told this:

“Hey Man, I’m benching 350. I don’t need to jump around like some girl.”  Yeha sure. Get your butt (well, all of you) measured for your body fat and tell me you couldn’t bring that number down some. Strong is good but healthy is better, especially for you guys leaving your 30′s soon, you don’t want or need extra fat.

Get 3-4, 15-25 minute cardio sessions in a week and watch the changes happen. Is is possible you can run to and from the gym? If running isn’t your thing, I have loads of other ideas. Send me an email and I’ll clue you in.

Tip #2: Drink more water

This is the easiest weight loss tips for men and one of the best.

You do not need sodas or juice, just simply pure water. Nothing against juice but they are usually loaded with sugar, which isn’t helpful and besides, you should really eat your fruit to get the most out of it.

Decreased strength and decreased physical performance are just two of the results of being dehydrated.

Water is crucial  for digestion of food, increased strength, injury prevention, protection of joints  and chelping repair muscle are just a few of the benefits that you get from being properly hydrated.

And in spite of all the hype, plain old tap water is good enough in most areas.

Tip #3: Learn when to rest

You have to rest when your body needs to rest so that you don’t risk overtraining.

Weight training can easily be overdone, as a matter of fact, most so called weight training programs stress way too much time in the gym and rarely address proper recovery methods

you must take your rest days in order for your muscles to recover and rebuild stronger.

Intensity is importat, not time. Regardless what the common “knowledge” says, you can work a body part once a week and still see major gains. Forget the M-W-F mentality. (And if you were wondering when you were gonna find time to get your cardio in…..)

Wrap up:

These are just 3 Weight Loss Tips for Men. Obviously you need a plan and not just shortcuts, but consider all of these along with what you’re doing and you’ll be better off.