If you believe you may be suffering from low testosterone levels than you have probably been experiencing one or more of the following things: low libido levels or complete lack thereof, decrease in muscle mass, loss of strength, increase in body fat (mid section, decrease in energy levels, feeling a bit “down” or just losing that “zest for life and living”. That edge, that strength, that vitality that defines what makes a “man a man” is wearing a bit thin.

Short cuts are not the answer

Unfortunately, instead of making the lifestyle changes that would allow their bodies to naturally create optimum testosterone levels, more and more men these days are asking their doctors to prescribe expensive (and potentially dangerous) testosterone replacement therapies.

The sad thing is that many doctors will go along with these requests of using artificial testosterone on their male patients instead of encouraging them to lose some weight, get some proper exercise, eat better and get a bit more sleep. When there is money involved people do things that may not mean your health and wellness is the top priority.

There is really no reason to use artificial testosterone replacement therapy as you can easily increase your testosterone levels naturally by making some simple changes in your lifestyle which will also benefit you in a multitude of other healthy ways that a quick fix will not.

Bottom line: Men need to work their muscles to keep testosterone

We have discussed some of the symptoms of low testosterone levels like fatigue and lack of energy; add to those things low levels of motivation to be physically active. Yet physical activity is the very thing that is needed. A strengthening exercise program is just what will kick those lazy hormones into action rejuvenating a man’s entire quality of life.

But just know that exercise will need to be intense enough to stimulate the pituitary gland to release testosterone (and other “fitness hormones”). You need to be taking your major muscle groups through their paces and ranges of movement under an adequate load for strengthening to occur and trigger the release of youthful hormones.

This means 2-3 sessions each week in the gym using big multi-muscle exercises as the foundation of your strength training program. Something extra though that I recommend is one or two sessions of interval training. For example sprinting is an excellent activity to give your T levels a kick in the ass, spiking them during, as well as after you have finished the session.

I myself do one of these sessions each week. Not far from my house is a school with large sports fields. I go on a Saturday when no one is around and do my interval session. I run as hard as I can across one of the football fields then walk back to recover. I repeat this 6-8 times zigzagging up the field and I’m done in under 20 minutes. I’ve made my one session a week a habit.

Although it is sometimes not easy to do something so hard and intense I don‘t let myself off the hook and keep my promise to myself to do it each week. Don’t worry if you feel you are not sprinting, it does get better the more you do it I promise. My first attempts were nothing more than a trot but now I can run faster and you will get better at it too. If you can do two sessions a week that would be hugely beneficial, but for me one is enough and I do it consistently.

The important thing is to use your 2-3 sessions a week of gym work as the base then add this one (or two) interval training sessions as an extra – not in place of the other sessions.

You can also use “cardio” equipment to do interval work. I like 30 seconds of all out “balls to the wall” effort with 60-90 seconds of recovery in between. Any more than 30 seconds and the intensity drops but these times are quite flexible and you will find your “sweet spot”.

The good news is your complete exercise program can be done is just 3 sessions a week (2 in the gym and one interval session). This means less than 2 hours total which is plenty of “bang for your buck”. Of course you do need to put the effort in otherwise your time is going to be frittered away.

The payoff is that men who work their muscular system properly will not only have higher levels of testosterone but other important “growth and repair” hormones that will keep them healthier and more youthful as well. Not only will you feel rejuvenated, you will stop the loss of muscle and bone, recover your muscle strength, burn off the body fat, shore up your immune system protecting you from killer “lifestyle” diseases, and you will feel a million bucks.

Be assured, you can keep your game alive and stall or even halt the decline in testosterone levels. When you work your major muscle groups it increases blood flow which brings oxygen and nutrients to all body cells and tissues helping to stimulate the testosterone producing glands.

So, those who exercise regularly will have a higher level of testosterone in their body keeping their manly assets like strength and virility a whole lot longer as they get older. If this sounds like something you would like to achieve then you will need my step by step workout plan so, just go back to the home page on this website where you can see my Strong Men Stay Young program and get started right away.

When you have a few weeks or months of your new strength training program under your belt you will feel your emotional well-being and self confidence building. Your best days are NOT behind you as you now know a secret weapon to keep you youthful and strong regardless of how many candles are on your birthday cake!

As part of the GLA40 Tribe, we are all  in this together: http://www.gaylifeafter40.com/Strong Men , Stay Young