35 Ways to Naturally Increase Testosterone

35 Ways to Increase Natural Testosterone Levels

By AJAC

There is not a week that goes by that I am not asked about testosterone levels,

“How can I raise my testosterone?”

“Can supplements actually boost testosterone?”

“How do I know if I have low testosterone?”

The questions are endless. Testosterone is a hot marketing area for men that strikes at the core of machismo and male health. Attach testosterone to any product with some hyperbole, and you can market it effectively.

Truth be told, testosterone levels ARE critical for male health. Having low testosterone leads to low energy, low sex drive, low strength, and comes with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and general lethargy. There are no advantages to having low testosterone. Becoming hypogonadal has been linked to alzheimer's, dementia, cardiovascular disease and even prostate cancer (new research points to LOW T being a precipitating factor, not high T).

Perhaps even more concerning, is that testosterone levels have been dropping in men worldwide for decades. The reasons for this are legion. Environmental endocrine disruptors, plastics, contaminants, lack of sunlight and solar radiation, lack of key micronutrients, skewed diets, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, increased stress, so on and so forth.

This drop in testosterone is not only seen in humans, but animals as well. Across the world, environmental pollutants are affecting animal life and disrupting sex hormones.

The pragmatic reality is that our bodies ARE affected by our environment and lifestyle, and for many men, they are slowly castrating themselves with how they live.

Increasing your testosterone levels, and overall vitality of life, this should be of paramount focus for men. High testosterone levels are representative of your overall HEALTH. You have everything to lose and nothing to gain with depressed testosterone production.

How To Raise Testosterone Naturally

The subject of how to raise testosterone levels can be endlessly argued. For every study that shows something causing a drop (say sugar), a dissenting opinion will say it doesn't matter.

In researching this list, I poured through a massive amount of research. I wanted to find ways to improve the body’s own endogenous (natural) production. A man’s health is his responsibility, and your quality of life will rise or fall accordingly 

Some supplements can support natural production, but your natural production is almost entirely dependent on lifestyle. A lack of sleep, a lack of sun, a lack of exercise, and a bad diet are far more powerful than any individual supplement you could ever take.

As such, I didn’t want to list generic “T-booster” supplements, but broader tactics that supported hormonal health, an optimized lifestyle, and better management of stress levels. Too often men get caught up in what specific supplement does, and how much it raises Test levels. This is paradigm blindness. Your health is your whole life. Your hormonal health comes from an optimized lifestyle, not just a supplement.

I have no interest in arguments with this list. One can pick apart various points as being unimportant or not gold standard proven, but this overlooks the fact that testosterone and health operate on a continuum, and that health effects are always 50/50 in regards to what works.  A short term acute decrease might not matter one time. Acute decreases multiplied over a lifetime DO. The compound effect is always in effect. Your health is your own experiment, you must try things yourself. Drawing the boundaries of what tactics you want to incorporate, and what tactics you find irrelevant, that is on you.

What follows are practical tactics to increase your natural production of testosterone, or remove factors that could lower it. Whether you follow some of them or all of them or “believe” them is up to you. I promote a high testosterone way of living, physically, mentally, spiritually. Living with low testosterone as status quo is unacceptable as a man. Do not let this be your status quo

The Tactics

I've divided these into Dietary, Physical, and Lifestyle. I would advise you follow as many as possible.

If I had to reduce them down to essentials , Id say get sunlight every day, sleep in the dark at night, have sex often, lift weights, do cardio, and eat a whole foods diet with plenty of protein.

But there are also many things to NOT do. So keep reading.

Dietary

1. Cut out alcohol-heavy drinking is terrible for you, period. Alcohol in large doses drops testosterone levels precipitously. Beer is especially insidious, the hops in beer act as phytoestrogens, which creates a double whammy of reduced testosterone and increased estrogen levels. If you drink, drink minimally, or not at all. A few hard alcohol drinks are a better option than beer.

-side note-there is some research that small amounts of hard alcohol before exercise can increase free test levels, so alcohol in small amounts is not all bad. This is not a suggestion to drink before you hit the gym though.

2. Reduce sugar and processed carb intake-high doses of sugar acutely drop testosterone levels. Sugar is not inherently bad, but eating too much without the necessary metabolic health and lifestyle, then its bad. Large amounts of processed carbs and sugar in your diet are hormonal hell, leading to insulin sensitivity, systemic inflammation, increased cortisol levels, and impaired glucose tolerance.

3. Eat Clean Carbs, and match your carb intake to your activity levels-Carbohydrates are necessary for testosterone production, and testosterone decline can happen with low carbohydrate diets. Clean carbs I define as complex carbs and low to no sugar carbohydrates. People can argue about fruit, but it’s impossible to argue that higher sugar intake is to your benefit. Get your carbs from tubers, whole grains, and vegetables, and your diet will be immensely healthier and more nutrient dense as a result.

4. Eat an adequate amount of protein-Contrary to popular belief, high protein diets have been shown to LOWER testosterone levels. Now that does not mean don’t eat protein, rather, it means that beyond a certain point, extra protein is not helping. Additionally, the evidence is incontrovertible that protein intake positively corresponds with increased lean body mass, and lean body mass corresponds with increased testosterone levels. By current research, 0.8 grams per pound of bodyweight is entirely adequate. I generally recommend 1 gram per pound, simply because it is less math, and even if you fall a bit short, you still ensure your intake is sufficient.

5. Use Whey Protein-Whey protein is extremely useful for general muscular recovery and maintaining a healthy diet. If you are trying to grow lean body mass through resistance training, whey protein is convenient and cost effective. For people who struggle with protein intake (a common problem) a 50 gram shake could account for a large % of your daily intake. 

6. Increase healthy fat intake-Cholesterol is a precursor to testosterone. Low fat diets plummet test levels. Increase healthy fat intake of saturated fats and omega 3 fatty acids. For this reason, I don’t recommend ultra lean cuts of meat. Eat chicken thighs, eat eggs, eat fattier beef, use coconut oil, olive oil, and butter. Consume almonds and walnuts.

7. Supplement with Vitamin S-That means SUNLIGHT. Go outside every day, expose your body to the sun, and maintain healthy circadian rhythm.

8. Supplement with Magnesium-Magnesium is sometimes claimed to be a test booster, but this is rather inconclusive. What is well established is that many people are deficient in magnesium, and that magnesium deficiency can has adverse effects on exercise performance, energy levels, mood, and a multitude of other metabolic processes. Magnesium deficiency has been a silent problem for many decades now, though most are unaware of it.

Additionally, there does seem to be an interplay between being magnesium deficiency and testosterone levels being adversely affected. Per my own professional experience, I’ve been continuously surprised over the years by how many clients report feeling more energetic and improvements in libido when they supplement with magnesium. I prefer to take my magnesium before bed.

9. Use Olive Oil-it is excellent for cardiovascular health, and it contributes to healthy cholesterol levels that convert in testosterone (Cholesterol is a precursor hormone to testosterone). Make sure you get REAL olive oil, and not fake olive oil. I order my Olive Oil from Oliva Dorado. Use code “AJAC” for a discount.

10. Minimize usage of plastics with food-This can seem like a huge chore, but the evidence for plastics being an environmental xenoestrogen that emasculates everything from fish to polar bears is very powerful. In your daily life, you can avoid plastic by eating whole foods, storing foods in glass containers, and reducing the amount of processed food in your diet. Be reasonable about this, obviously it is not realistic to eliminate all the plastic in your life, unless you plan on living in the woods and carving and forging your own furniture and tools.

11. Avoid fake fats-vegetable oil, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, all negatively impact testosterone levels. They also inflame the gut, the arteries, may be one of the causes of heart disease, lead to fatty liver disease, and are linked to Alzheimer's and dementia. Eliminate them from diet, and minimize your consumption of them

12. Eat Avocados- Avocados were considered fertility food by native american tribes, and for good reason; they contain monounsaturated fat, which is the exact kind of fat you want to be consuming for healthy test levels. They’re also loaded with many other nutrients (vitamin K, copper,folate, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin C).

13. Increase Cruciferous vegetable consumption-Cruciferous vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, they are loaded with anti-estrogens and a multitude of other nutrients. They also improve digestive health as well (and are a great source of fiber). Add them into your diet as much as possible.

14. Eat fermented foods-Fermented do not raise testosterone perse, but they do tremendously improve gut health, overall digestion, and the immune system. When your gut is inflamed and nutrient absorption is subpar, overall health suffers. Improving gut health improves the health of all the other systems of the body

15. Eat Seafood-Seafood is high protein, high omega3s, high in Zinc and other micros, and low in fat. Its great for ANY kind of diet, whether you are maintaining, bulking, cutting, doesn't matter. Seafood is superior nutrition. 

16. Cut the Stimulants-Excess stimulant consumption of caffeine, energy drinks all increase cortisol-->decrease test levels. Caffeinated drinks can mask excess cortisol and they certainly mask being under recovered and a sleep deficit. If you need coffee simply to feel semi normal, and need stimulant drinks throughout the day, you need to consider cutting back. 

Physical

17. Lift weights-Being strong and muscular leads to increased testosterone levels, and increased testosterone levels facilitates greater strength and muscle gains. This alone can significantly change your health. It also leads to improved self confidence, metabolic health, movement economy, and quality of life as a whole. I’ve got a lot of programs that cover how to do this

18. Perform Compound Movements-Compound movement should comprise the majority of your training. Squats, deadlifts, rows, presses, dips, chinups, pushups, lunges, and loaded carries.

19. Be Muscular-Higher lean body mass correlates to higher testosterone levels. And you are stronger, and harder to kill. And more useful in general. This is not a complicated point. Muscle is the holy grail for health.

20. Improve relative bodyweight strength-This is the most direct way to assess if you are building muscle and losing fat. How many pushups, chinups, dips, lunges, and squats can you do in one set? Aim for these numbers

50 pushups

20 dips

12 chinups or pullups

100 lunges (50 each leg)

100 bodyweight squats

21. Sprint-Sprinting increases power, builds leg strength, improves conditioning, increases fat burning (provided you are in a calorie deficit), improves relative bodyweight strength, and generally increases overall athleticism as a whole. Do sprints of some kind as part of your training.

22. Do not get fat-excess fat increases secretion of estrogen, inflammation, decreases testosterone, and leads to reduced insulin sensitivity. These are not things you want to happen. Stay lean and do not let bodyfat rise above mid teens ever. I consider 15% the high point for men. If you’ve never been lean before, diet down to 10% bodyfat, and then adjust your lifestyle from there. Every man should be very lean at least once in his life.

23. Perform HIIT Cardio-This covers sprinting, but HIIT cardio is time efficient, improves endurance and cardiovascular health, increases bloodflow, can help you get leaner, and can be done a variety of ways (sprints, sleds, running, hills, swimming, weights, etc). My favorite way is the assault or echo bike

24. Walking-This means exactly what it says. Walking is an ancient health secret, and people overlook it simply because of how mundane it seems as a suggestion. It can help you be leaner, reduce stress, improve bloodflow, improve recovery, increase focus, and is an essential ability you never ever want to lose.

Lifestyle

25. Sunlight-So important I had to include it twice. Sunlight exposure and testosterone levels unequivocally go together. Every hormone in your body depends on circadian rhythm. You NEED to be in the sun every day. Don't care what your skin color is. Morning sun, late day sun. Don't overexpose yourself and get burned. Increased sunlight increases vitamin D levels, which leads to increased testosterone levels.

26. Get Sleep-A lack of sleep can reduce testosterone production by up to 40%. Less sleep=Less testosterone. Do what you need to do to improve this. Improving sleep is an issue unto itself. Cut down on bluelight exposure, turn down the lights, quiet the mind, manage your time better, and get an alarm clock. Don’t wake up with your phone. Take PreSleep to help you sleep.

27. Talk to attractive women-Talking to attractive women raises test levels and lowers stress levels, scientific fact. Go talk to girls. I am dead serious about this. If you are a man who has zero confidence with women, WORK ON THIS. Stop being an autistic doomer blackpilled ghey incel or whatever other retard shit zoomers do to themselves nowadays. Take some B4 to take the edge off your nerves and talk to girl. Go raise the Fuck rate.

28. Learn VIOLENCE-This will train your aggression through competition and pain tolerance. Competitive environments are proven to increase testosterone levels. Learn how to box, learn BJJ, learn Muay thai, learn something that gets your competitive instincts turned on and leads to you getting punched in the face. I am completely serious about this. Men that do not know how to throw a punch and are scared to take a punch always lack a primal physical confidence, and it can be seen a mile away. Men who are confident with violence have an entirely distinct edge. Its my belief all men should learn combative skills. I’d suggest boxing, Muay Thai, or BJJ if you want to learn how to fight. If you want to learn more real world oriented violence and self defense, find a good Krav Maga studio.

29. SEX-Get some. There are infinite resources telling you how to make this happen and be better at it. Not getting laid is no good, period. Men that have sex regularly are happier, more confident, and healthier.

30. Drop your loser friends-Low testosterone attitude is contagious. Being friends with emasculated men that are pussy whipped and passive is hell on earth. Same for your friends that do nothing but drink beer and watch 46 hours of sports highlights on the weekend. Same for your video game habit that occupies your whole weekend. You are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with, and high testosterone men have high testosterone friends. If this hurt your feelings, you just proved my point.

31. Find training partners-like minded & red blooded gentleman will give you someone to compete against and hold you accountable in your training and new lifestyle. Put yourself around men who pursue excellence across multiple realms by pursuing it yourself.

32. Speak with Authority-Your dialogue reflects your mindset. Just, maybe, kinda, sorta, ehh, sorry are how slack jawed faggots speak. Tripping over your words and sounding like a scared child inspire confidence in no one. This is why people push you around at work, why women laugh at you, and why you waste time watching motivational youtube videos by internet surrogate daddies. GO LIVE. ACT. SPEAK. Develop your confidence and elocution, and your hormones will reinforce your mindset accordingly. 

Don't be a coward.

33. Posture-How you stand reflects how you move, it affects how you breathe, it reflects your mentality. Mentality is physicality. Weak posture is a weak mindset, and it immediately indicates a lack of athleticism. Research has proven that postural improvement affects brain chemistry. Don’t just stand up straight, move with confidence.

34. FOCUS-become the goddamn best and be uncompromising in your devotion and effort to it. Mastery lends itself to a necessary care of the physical and mental. Focus and testosterone go hand in hand.

35. Try A Natural Testosterone Booster-Aggressive Strength is the best product Ive found on the market, the ingredients are clinically dosed with scientific research demonstrating their efficacy.

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