Its not just about working out. Sure. Working out has amazing benefits, as does eating healthy. But there is an underlying issue with men that is far too often overlooked. This issue, if uncorrected, is enough to sabotage all the grueling hours you spent busting your ass in the gym. Years of grinding the iron and choking down cans of tuna will have been a lost cause. And the notion of a muscular body, nothing more than a distant dream.

The issue is hormones.

The magazines and youtubers will preach all day about what protein powder to sell you and what the best workout is. But no one ever seems to mention having optimum hormone production or taking care of your endocrine system.

The truth is that you are going to be wasting a shitload of time and money if your hormones aren’t in check.

The point of this guide is to provide you with practical things that you can do to get your body working its absolute best by correcting underlying issues with your hormones. By optimizing our bodies hormone production, we will decrease estrogen, increase testosterone, use insulin to our advantage, and lower stress hormones like cortisol.

In all honesty, this is not going to be an easy task. There probably won’t be just one single thing that does the trick. Rather, several smaller things that create a bigger picture. It will be a lifestyle change for many of you.

I am not a medical doctor, and all the information in this book is a culmination of years of research, experimentation, and trial and error. I want to supply you with all the information that I dearly wish someone would have shared with me many years ago. It certainly would have made all this much easier and cheaper in the long run.

Our goal is to get our body working the way it was always meant to without having to rely on testosterone therapy, if at all possible.

PART 1

Men today are at a major disadvantage

The modern day hormonal imbalance in men is primarily resulted from changes in our environment and food options. The testosterone levels of our ancestors were much higher than ours according to many studies.

Hormone replacement therapy is becoming more common as a result of the large number of men who have low testosterone and elevated estrogen. There are many people that theorize that most men will eventually be put on hormone replacement therapy in the near future.

So how in the hell did this epidemic of hormone imbalance happen on such a massive level? Well, it’s because just about every card that could be stacked against you……is.

Literally.

The food is a problem, but far from the only one.

There is no doubt that poor quality food and added chemicals have played a huge role. Decades of large scale agriculture has reduced the amount of nutrients in the soil. The amount of chemicals that are in processed foods is absolutely startling. Many boxed and canned items contain at least 20 ingredients that the average human can’t even pronounce.

The human race simply did not evolve to be able to stand such a barrage of chemicals which definitely has negative effects on our endocrine system. Rather, we evolved on a simple diet of animal meat and vegetables.

Americans have been told to base our diets around the flawed food pyramid. Food manufacturers found out early on that they could make a higher profit margin on grains and starches. So, they paid nutritionist to put it as the priority on the pyramid.

The modern American diet is now chocked full of cheaply produced carbohydrates. This has completely ruined our insulin sensitivity and made most of us fat. Most of the food in grocery stores are made of cheap carbohydrates that have longer shelf life. This helps minimize store’s product loss and keep manufacturers cost’ as low as possible.

The more fat you are, the more prone to having higher levels of estrogen you will be.

We were told all throughout the 1990s not to eat fat at all and that cholesterol will kill you. The actual truth is that the body uses Vitamin D and cholesterol in order to make testosterone. Therefore, healthy males should be eating plenty of protein and animal fats as well as fewer carbohydrates for optimal hormone production.

Environmental changes

There are many things in our everyday environment which disrupt our natural hormone production which are called xenoestrogens. These xenoestrogens are literally everywhere! They can be found in air fresheners, insecticides, and even get into your food from the BPA in plastics.

This constant assault on our endocrine system causes an increase in estrogen levels and crushes our natural testosterone production.

Most doctors won’t call it for what it is

We’re going to get into this a lot more in a later chapter, but I got blood work drawn to have my doctor check my hormone levels because I dint feel good, my sex drive sucked, and I couldn’t make any progress in the gym.

The results showed that I had the testosterone of a 75-year-old man. While my doctor thought that this was in a totally acceptable functional range, I was not at all willing to accept this answer.

Listen guys. You are meant to LIVE life, not just exist. Life is short so you should be able to feel good and enjoy your time here

Most doctors simply aren’t educated enough to treat symptoms of low testosterone. Therefore, don’t do anything to help their patients.

Social Trends

It’s very hard to disassociate high levels of testosterone with masculinity. Unfortunately, we now live in a society where many feminist and social justice worries condemn masculine traits as a way to cater to people who want use laziness and weakness as an excuse.

More often than not, men are viewed on television as expendable and inferior to the all-knowing female race. Muscles are often associated with lower intelligence. Just watch a planet fitness commercial if you doubt what I’m saying here. The truth is that the average steroid user belongs to the upper middle class, is in their mid-thirties and makes between $50k and $70k per year. Sound like idiots to you?

I don’t care what social justice warriors and feminist say about how much they love a fat boy or how they would rather have a man with a dad bod. I know several women who claim they feel this way, but go bat shit crazy when they see a fit guy who takes care of himself. They can’t stop looking and thinking about it because it is ingrained in (most)women to be attracted to a confident and in-shape man.

This has been the case since cave men were around because it is in the DNA to find a fertile partner that can defend her and isn’t a giant pussy. Society can preach political correctness all it wants, but at the end of the biology wins.

Don’t ever apologize for being a man. Just be a piece of shit to other people.

It should be fairly clear by now that the cards are not in your favor. But it’s not the end of the world because you’re going to take this this shit into your own hands from here on out.

“Making the best of the cards I’ve been dealt,

Adjusting the odds so I win”

-SLAYER

PART 2

Know Thy Enemy, For Its Name Is Estrogen

Men and women have two major hormones in the body. Estrogen and Testosterone. Men produce more testosterone and women produce more estrogen.

Estrogen is the dominant hormone in females that regulates the development and regulation of their reproductive system. It is responsible for the feminine physical features they possess such as breast tissue. Simply put, estrogen is a vital hormone that women need in their body to function properly.

But for men we need a high level of testosterone and just a very small amount of estrogen in our body.

Simply put…Testosterone good, estrogen bad.

A man’s testosterone production lowers when estrogen levels rise above a normal range. So, you will need to determine if your estrogen to testosterone levels are out of balance.

Symptoms of High estrogen in men

• Low sex drive
• Infertility
• Erectile dysfunction
• Gynecomastia (aka man boobs, bitch tits, ect;)
• Struggle to put on muscle mass
• Feeling of anxiety or depression
• Excessive water retention and bloatedness
• Fat gain around the waist or chest area
• Lethargy
• Poor sleep quality

In most cases, if we get estrogen back in check, our natural testosterone will no longer be suppressed. Thus, allowing our testosterone to do what it needs to.

What causes estrogen to be high?

• Lack of exercise
• Too much bodyfat
• Inadequate nutrition
• Eating too much soy
• Insufficient amount of sleep
• Vitamin/mineral deficiency
• Overexposure to xenoestrogens
• Aromatase (high levels of testosterone converting to estrogen)

Testosterone Converting to Estrogen (Aromatase)

Aromatase is a chemical reaction that can occur when you have too much testosterone in your body. When testosterone levels get to high the aromatase enzymes in your body start converting the testosterone into estrogen. This is the reason why you hear about bodybuilders getting gynecomastia and teenagers getting bitch tits during puberty.

The testosterone levels are so high that the body just doesn’t know what to do with it, so it converts it over to estrogen. Bodybuilders inject absurd amounts of synthetic testosterone and have to take pharmaceutical aromatase inhibitors to mitigate estrogen spikes and gyno.

Often times, most people don’t know that their hormonal imbalance is the result of testosterone converting into estrogen.

One of the main goals of this book is to prevent your testosterone aromatizing to estrogen. Then we will focus on a high testosterone diet and lifestyle that will keep estrogen at bay.

PART 3

What is testosterone and why is it important?

Testosterone is the master of all male hormones.  It directly affects how you look as well as how you feel both mentally and physically.

Testosterone is the primary sex hormone in men and is also an anabolic steroid. It plays a huge roll in the development of muscle and bone mass, as well as the development of body hair. This hormone also helps to lower body fat and improve a man’s sense of wellbeing and confidence.

Testosterone levels decline as men age which can lead to serious issues like bone/muscle loss, depression, and a lack of sex drive.

The Two Types of Testosterone

A man’s body produces about 7 mg of testosterone a day, but not all the testosterone in our bloodstream can be used by our bodies.

1. Free Testosterone. Free testosterone only makes up about 3% of our total testosterone levels. This is the most pure and best form of testosterone in your body. There are no proteins or other molecules attached to it so it is free to flow through your body and interact with the receptors that give us the real benefits of testosterone.
2. SHBG-bound Testosterone. About 50% of our total testosterone is bound to a protein called sex hormone-binding-globulin(SHBG). Our bodies can’t use this type of testosterone to help build muscles because it is biologically inactive. Too much SHBG can lead to symptoms of testosterone deficiency.

What Does Testosterone Do?

• Improve cognitive ability
• Increases libido
• Improves erection qualities
• Strengthens bones
• Supports and builds muscle mass
• Decreases bodyfat
• Fights depression
• Provides an overall sense of well being
• Drives men to be competitive and dominant

How is Testosterone Made?

95% of Testosterone is created by our testicles and about 5% is created in the adrenal glands.

1. The Process starts in our brain when the hypothalamus detects that our body needs more testosterone, it secretes a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone. The gonadotropin-releasing hormone makes its way over to the pituitary gland in the back of our brain.
2. When our pituitary gland detects the gonadotropin-releasing hormone, it starts producing follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). These two hormones then travel through our bloodstream to our testicles.
3. FSH stimulates sperm production and LH signals the testicles to produce testosterone.
4. The testicles then convert cholesterolinto testosterone. That’s right, cholesterol is the building block of testosterone. Our testicles get most of what it needs to produce testosterone by absorbing the cholesterol floating around in our blood from the food we consumed.
5. Testosterone is then sent back into our bloodstream. Most of it immediately attaches to SHBG and only a small percentage remains free(unbound) circulate around in our body.

Things you can do to help raise testosterone levels

• Cold showers- A study from the University of California proved that cold showers increased protein syntheses in the testicles. Likewise, a study at USCF showed that sperm counts went up by 491% when men switched from taking hot baths to taking cold showers. So, keep in mind that man’s reproductive organs hang in a sack outside of out body to remain cooler for a reason. My personal opinion on this is that cold showers, especially after exercise, sends the body into something of a survival mode. Hence, diving up hormone levels as a response to the exposure to the cold water.
• Lift weights- Large compound movements like deadlifts, squats, and bench press have been shown to increase levels of anabolic hormones such as testosterone. (There will be more on this later)
• Do not avoid cholesterol- In the 1990s, we were told not to eat fat because cholesterol will kill you. The actual truth is that the body uses Vitamin D and cholesterol in order to make testosterone. Healthy males should be eating plenty of protein and animal fats as well as fewer carbohydrates for optimal hormone production.
• Get enough sleep- Research has shown that a lack of sleep can have a very damaging effect on morning test levels. A study done at the University of Chicago actually showed that subjects test levels increased the longer they slept. Seven to Nine hours of sleep is recommended for optimum testosterone production.
• lower your estrogen levels- Estrogen is testosterone’s enemy and the more you can decrease estrogen, the better your testosterone levels will be.
• Loose the spare tire- It has been proven that testosterone helps to lower body fat. High estrogen leads to excess fat storage in the chest and waist. Simply put, the more fat you are, the more prone to having higher levels of estrogen you will be.
• Limit your alcohol consumption- Excessive alcohol consumption has been shown to significantly decrease testosterone and raise estrogen. Our livers see alcohol as a toxin which it must quickly process to eliminate from our body.  This makes it incredibly difficult to properly process and regulate our hormone production levels. Alcohol is notorious for boosting the activity of an enzyme which converts testosterone into estrogen. And even though it is viewed as a manly beverage, beer is also extremely estrogenic.
• Eat Vegetables- Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower can help lower estrogen levels. They are rich in zinc and Indole-3-Carbinol which helps regulate estrogen in your body. Zinc boost testosterone and stops the body from converting testosterone to estrogen.
• Stop Jerking Off To Porn!- Internet pornography is highly addictive that releases huge levels of dopamine. Every time you watch it, you ultimately desensitize yourself to more and more outrageous porno scenes. This goes on and on until you can’t get hard without seeing more and more wacky shit. Porn leads to erectile dysfunction and I don’t need science to back this up. When I was young, I had become so addicted to internet porn that I couldn’t get it up without it. I was shooting my load two or three times a day to a computer screen rather than having sex with a real woman. Besides, why go out and look for women when you can see anything you want on the internet? You can’t be a testosterone powerhouse that was born to fuck women if you’re stuck in a dark room with your hand and a computer screen.
• Have sex with an actual woman – Having sex with an actual woman will increase your testosterone levels though. But wasting your vital testosterone over porn will make you an unproductive and weak loser. There are several studies to support the fact that testosterone levels temporarily increase when engaging in sexual activity. But again, I don’t need science to support this. Just think about how you feel after jerking off to porn…. tired, puny, and zapped of your manhood. Now think about how you feel after you have fucked your woman so good that she begs you to keep going…. you feel like the king of the world. Full of life and confidence. That is testosterone!!!!

Lifting Weights Increases Testosterone

Exercising has many benefits but one overlooked area is its ability to improve hormone production. After doing something like lifting weights, the body releases different hormones in order to begin the repair process throughout the various tissues within the body. One of the main hormones released in this process is testosterone.

Exercise, in general, should improve hormone production in any capacity. But there are specific exercises that cause the body to release more testosterone than others. Scientific research has proven a direct correlation between specific types of training and hormone production.

Basically, it was determined that heavy compound movements resulted in a higher release of testosterone in order to elicit repair as well as conditioning the body to the amount of physical stress it is being put under. Compound movements are exercises that involve two or more muscle groups.

Compound Lifts for Increasing Testosterone

• Squats
• Bench Press
• Deadlift
• Military press
• Pull ups
• Dips
• Rows

Weightlifting protocol to increase testosterone output

This is a basic 5-day straight training schedule that utilizes the weekend for recovery. However, you can customize this however you need to in order to accommodate your lifestyle. 4 to 6 sets per exercise should be sufficient to elicit growth and a spike in testosterone. Rep range is totally goal dependent on the individual.

Each session should start out with the larger compound movements because they are more exhaustive and emphasize on strength to create a hormonal response. Then, you work your way to the more isolated movements that target a specific muscle and are less exhaustive.

You need to use enough weight so that the last 2 sets are a struggle to complete. Each set is to be followed by a resting period of approximately 1 minute.

MONDAY (chest and back)

TUESDAY (Shoulders and arms)

WEDNESDAY (Legs)

THURSDAY (chest and back)

FRIDAY (Shoulders and arms)

Bodyweight movements can also be used in place of this if you have limited access to gym equipment. Body-weight movements are still compound movements because they require more than one muscle group. Therefore, push-ups, pull-ups, and one legged squats can still be effective.

PART 4

Nutrition for optimum hormones

Eat Vegetables

Vegetable might not seem very manly but they can do absolute wonders for our endocrine system as well a fight off cancer. Green vegetables can help regulate estrogen levels because they are rich in zinc and Indole-3-Carbinol.

Zinc is a mineral that acts as a natural aromatase inhibitor by preventing your testosterone from converting into estrogen. Zinc also lowers levels of SHBG, (human-sex hormone binding globulin) which ties your testosterone up where it is not free to do what it needs to.

Think of SHBG as a jail cell for your testosterone.

Indole-3-Carbinol, also known as diindolylmethane (DIM) helps improve estrogen metabolism in both genders improving the level of “good” estrogen while reducing the level of “bad” estrogen. It is even used by doctors to reduce the chance of developing cancer.

Foods rich in Indole-3-Carbinol

• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Spinach
• Mustard greens

Limit your alcohol consumption

Excessive alcohol consumption has been shown to significantly decrease your testosterone levels and raises estrogen. This happens because our livers see alcohol as a toxin that it must quickly eliminate from our body.  This process makes it incredibly difficult for it to properly process and regulate our hormone production levels.

Alcohol is notorious for boosting the aromatase enzyme, which converts testosterone into estrogen. The hops in beer are extremely estrogenic even though beer is viewed as a manly beverage.

Stay Away From Soy

Food manufacturers have been pumping this cheap filler like soy into our food for years. Studies show that a high consumption of soy products leads to increased estrogen levels and cause increased feminizing effects.

Soy is an extremely estrogenic and not good for men. I don’t give a shit about how healthy vegans tell you tofu is, don’t eat it! Also try to avoid soy sauce and edamame.

Avoid processed foods

Meats steak and eggs are great for your testosterone but highly processed meats like spam and hot dogs are not good for your endocrine system. They are loaded with tons of chemicals and foreign preservatives like sodium nitrate.

A common practice in factory farming is to inject synthetic estrogen and growth hormone into livestock to cause rapid weight gain. All of the trace hormones and antibiotics are still present the food that ends up in your body. Just remember that you are what you eat.

Carbs and Sugar in moderation

Also avoid cheaply produced carbohydrates which are common in grocery stores due to their longer shelf life. This helps minimize store’s product loss and keep manufacturers cost’ as low as possible. The more fat you are, the more prone to having higher levels of estrogen you will be.

Sugars especially need to be used in moderation as eating a lot of sugar can ruin insulin sensitivity and make you fat and full of estrogen. Part 7 of this guide will touch more on  carbs and insulin.

Don’t be scared of fats

Science has recently admitted that cholesterol and fats are not as bad as we have been lead to believe. Saturated fats are far too overlooked in the male diet.

Essential fats and cholesterol are actually essential for optimum testosterone levels. For our bodies to produce testosterone. The body can easily thrive without carbohydrates. But it will severely struggle without healthy fat.

Everyone’s body is different and the amount of fat needed varies from person to person. Therefore, I suggest you start with 30% of your daily calories coming from heathy fat sources.

Great Sources of Fat

• Whole Eggs
• Almonds
• Avocados
• Beef
• Natural Peanut Butter
• Olive oil or Coconut Oil
• Omega 3 fatty acids (salmon and fish oil) are all amazing fat sources.

Things to remember when trying to maintain a diet that supports healthy hormone balance.

• Stick with whole food sources (Fish, eggs, Chicken breast, sweet potatoes, Spinach, etc.)
• Do most of the shopping around the outer perimeter of the store where the meats and vegetables tend to be. The middle of the store is where most highly processed canned and boxed items reside.
• If the ingredient panel has something that you don’t know what it is or can’t pronounce it, then don’t eat it.
• Keep dairy products like milk and ice cream to a minimum. They tend to be full of lactose (milk sugars) and can wreak havoc on your gut health because of all the enzymes.

Meal Examples

Meal 1 (670 calories)

1 cup Oatmeal, egg whites, and 2 Whole eggs

Meal 2 (430 calories)

8 oz. chicken breast (cooked with olive oil), ½ cup Brown Rice, and Broccoli

Meal 3 (836 calories)

6 oz. 80/20 Ground beef and ½ cup of quinoa

Meal 4 (356 calories)

6 oz. Salmon, cauliflower, and Sweet potato

MACRONUTRIENT PROFILE

TOTAL CALORIES 2,292

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all you can eat. But notice that everything is a whole food source, there are no processed carbohydrates, and there are plenty of healthy fats.

If I were only allowed to ever have one type of food for the rest of my life it would probably be eggs because of how much nutrition they contain.

Lets say you are ever eating out with friends and family. And you want to stick with a high testosterone meal that won’t destroy your diet. You can’t go wrong with steak and eggs.  Even if it’s not on the menu, I have never been told by any restaurant that can’t make steak and eggs. Or at least something damn close!

PART 6

Supplements That Actually Work

I probably spent thousands of dollars at overpriced stores like GNC buying bullshit that I let myself get suckered into. Like a lot of young guys, I was naive and willing to buy any product that could help.

No matter how much I ate or how long I was in the gym, I just couldn’t grow. All of my “newbie gains” had become old news. I wasted so much time looking at magazine adds promising to deliver all the muscle growth you could ever imagine. My faith was eventually lost in all the magazines because the continuously contained less actual content. Most magazines have became overrun with misleading product adds for supplements that dont work.

I felt hopeless that I would ever be able to get the sort of physic that I wanted. But I never thought that there may be an underlying hormonal balance that I wasn’t even aware of.

This is a list of supplements that I know work and regularly use. Many of them have actual studies to back up their abilities to improve hormonal balance. There are going to be some things on here that you may never heard of before and some things that are found in everyday food. For example, your low testosterone may just be the result have a mineral deficiency like magnesium that only cost a couple of dollars.

I just don’t want you to waste your mone. So try to stick with the items I list below.

Supplements that Either lower or Eliminate Estrogen

Anti-estrogens  

An anti-estrogen, is compound that lowers estrogen production. The lower your estrogen, the better your testosterone levels will be! An added benefit to lower estrogen levels is a harder appearance and less water weight.

Indole-3-Carbinol

Also known as diindolylmethane (DIM).  This is a completely natural plant extract that can be found at most vitamin shops and is always available at online supplement websites.

The plant nutrient found in cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cabbage, Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower. Both have unique hormonal benefits that improve estrogen metabolism in both genders and Indole-3-Carbinol increases the level of “good” estrogen while reducing the level of “bad” estrogen.

Zinc 10mg

Zinc is a mineral that acts as a natural aromatase inhibitor by preventing your testosterone from converting into estrogen. Zinc also lowers levels of SHBG, (human-sex hormone binding globulin) which ties your testosterone up where it is not free to do what it needs to.

One study found that zinc supplementation in men who received 30 milligrams of zinc per day showed increased levels of free testosterone in their bodies.

High levels of zinc will result in increased semen volume for most men. Try 150mg per day to get this “side effect”.

There is an excellent anti-estrogen product by Primeval Labs called Erosion that has these ingredients plus more. You can CLICK HERE to see more about Erosion.

Aromatase Inhibitors

Aromatase inhibitors were created to prevent estrogen production as a way to treat breast cancer in women. But in men, Aromatase inhibitors prevent high levels of testosterone from converting into estrogen.

There are many prescription Aromatase Inhibitors such as aromasin and letrizole that you can only get through a doctor. But there is a legal alternative that works just as well.

Arimistane

Also known as Androsta-3,5-diene-7,17-dione. This a metabolite of 7-keto DHEA and is very similar to the prescription drug Aromasin. This is one of my favorite supplements and I cycle it year-round because it works.

Arimistane is a potent aromatase inhibitor which decreases circulating levels of estrogen in the body. It will reduce any possible water retention and reduce cortisol levels (stress hormone, more on this later).

Arimistane can also eliminate the chance of the development of male breast tissue and help to increase sex drive. As a result, many people implement this after taking steroids (post cycle therapy) to bring hormone function back to normal.

This compound is currently legal as of 2017, and can be purchased on most supplement websites like A1supplements. This is one of my favorite supplements and the sweet spot is 75mg to 150mg a day.

But with just about anything, your body will get used to it after a while. Take it for 4 weeks, then stay off of it for 4 weeks, and then keep repeating.

CLICK HERE to see more about Arimistane

Supplements That Can Increase Testosterone Production

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is not yet the most popular testosterone booster the market. However, it definitely has the most clinical research to prove it’s effectiveness. Studies have shown it to raise testosterone levels up to 15%. Ashwagandha is a  herb that has been used in India for centuries with many well studied health benefits.

Studies have shown that Ashwagandha can boost endurance during physical activity by sharpening brain function. 300mg’s of KSM-66 Ashwagandha given to human subjects for 60 days. The herb was able to slash cortisol levels by 27% and reduce inflammation.

57 young and healthy men participated in a study of this herb. It showed a testosterone increase of 40% on infertile subjects and a 15% increase in healthy subjects. Also noted was a significantly improved sperm quality. Another study done with infertile men showed a 36% increase in luteinizing hormone. This suggest that Ashwagandha is able to raise testosterone production at brain level.

CLICK HERE to see more about Ashwagandha

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral essential to every organ in the body that most humans simply do not get enough of. According to a study published in 2011 in “Biological Trace Element Research” found that supplementation with magnesium was able to increase total free testosterone in both athletes and sedentary individuals.

Magnesium works similar to zinc by inhibiting specific proteins that binds to testosterone and strips it of its anabolic potency called Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG).

Magnesium can be purchased over the counter at any store that sells herbal supplements. The best food sources of Magnesium are unprocessed salts, fish, nuts, and dark leafy greens like spinach. The effective dosage is between 400mg to 750mg per day.

Vitamin D3 

Vitamin D3 is one of the most important supplements that a man can take for optimum testosterone production. This is because the body actually uses vitamin D and cholesterol to make the hormone. Sadly, there isn’t enough in this product.

Studies show that you have to supplement with 3,000 to 5,000 iu per day to see results. I personally take 5,000iu every day.

Boron

This is a necessary mineral that affects bone growth, and more importantly testosterone production. Small amounts of it can be found in nuts and vegetables, but not nearly enough to meet your daily needs.

Clinical trials using boron document it helping to lower estrogen and increase free testosterone. Recommended dosage is 10mg per day.

DAA or D-Aspartic Acid

This one is still up in the air.

D-Aspartic Acid has too much conflicting data to deem it as a viable ingredient. All the studies have been done on rats, not humans.

Here is what I gather based of the published research on rodents.

It helps create more Luteinizing Hormone (LH) if the subject does not have sufficient hormone production. However, one study showed it to lower testosterone after 14 days of use in fertile subjects with healthy testosterone levels. So, it may work if you are completely infertile but may work against you otherwise.

PART 6

A Word on Insulin and Cortisol

INSULIN

Insulin is one of the most powerful hormones in the human Body and converts glucose into a primary fuel source. Excessive insulin production makes it difficult for the body to efficiently process carbohydrates and sugars which leads to stored body fat.

The primary function of insulin is to maintain a balanced blood glucose level between 80 and 100mg/dl. We typically get insulin spikes after we eat. However, the pancreas begins to secrete insulin when blood sugar levels go above 100 and results in the glucose being stored as either body fat or shuttled into muscle tissue for future energy consumption.

Insulin Resistance and Weight Loss

For people wanting to lose weight, insulin is often regarded negatively. Insulin is a skinny guys best friend and a fat kids’ worst nightmare.

Excessive insulin production makes it difficult for the body to efficiently process carbohydrates and sugars which leads to stored body fat.

You can do all the cardio in the world but if you’re not consuming the correct type of carbs for your goals, then your screwed. If your heavy-set, then your body is like resistance to insulin. So, understanding how to eat for insulin sensitivity is going to be key here.

Not all carbs are created equal

Complex Carbohydrates (low glycemic)

If you are insulin resistant, the majority of your carbohydrates need to be complex carbohydrates (low glycemic).  Complex Carbs will have a far less drastic impact on your blood sugar levels and provide more stable energy from glucose.

Examples

• Sweet potatoes
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Oatmeal
• Lentils
• Beans

Simple Carbohydrates (High glycemic)

Simple carbs(high clycemic) should be avoided due to the negative impact on blood glucose levels which will lead to fat storage. The only time that simple carbs should be consumed is based around workouts to take advantage of insulin spikes, which can aid in muscle growth.

Examples

• White Potatoes
• White Rice
• Bread
• Pasta
• Candy
• Sugars
• Fruit Juice

Insulin Sensitivity and Gaining Muscle

For folks looking to gain muscle, insulin can be strategically used as an anabolic weapon. It is very obvious that the bodybuilders today are much bigger than those of the 1970s. Bodybuilders have pretty much used the same steroids for 30 years. So, the difference isn’t from the steroids, it’s from injecting insulin.

Now I’m not suggesting anyone start using insulin, because it’s super dangerous and can easily kill you. But, you can strategically use your own bodies insulin and time nutrient intake to take advantage of this powerful hormone.

Nutrient Timing is key

Time high carbohydrate meals both before and after your workout. You will want to have little to no fat in these meals because dietary fats slow the digestion of food and uptake of nutrients. The goal here is to absorb the carbohydrates and protein into the blood as soon as possible in order to get it into the muscle cell.

The pre/post workout carbs need to be high glycemic (simple carbs) so they can get into the blood faster.

Supplements that help with insulin uptake

Organic Raw apple cider vinegar can be used as a secret weapon here because it can lower the glycemic index of carbohydrates. The acid that is in apple cider vinegar also helps with the digestion of food and has been known to help with issues like acid reflux.

Apple Cider Vinegar also contains potassium which helps mitigate excessive water retention. If I drink apple cider vinegar before bed, I’m up 2 or 3 times a night to urinate.

I would also suggest taking chromium or cinnamon supplements to help your body maintain balanced glucose levels.

There are also products known as Glucose Disposal Agents that can really help. There are only a few companies that have been making these and they become very popular over the past year. What a glucose disposal agent does is increase your insulin sensitivity to help you utilize carbohydrates more effectively. A glucose disposal agent can be taken with high carb meals centered around your workout or taken throughout the day to help retrain your body to use insulin correctly.

They are usually natural products that as a nutrient partitioning agent that allow you to absorb carbohydrates more efficiently by shuttling glucose directly into the muscle tissue instead of storing it as fat.

The best (and cheapest) product out on the market for this is SLIN by Enhanced Athlete and you can CLICK HERE to know more about it.

CORTISOL

This is a catabolic, or muscle wasting hormone. It is released in the adrenal glands in response to stress. Cortisol levels rise in the blood stream once the body is exposed to physical, mental, or emotional stress. This hormonal imbalance can cause serious side effects such as weight gain , increases appetite, and even cardiovascular issues such as heart attacks.  Cortisol is the culprit behind people who ‘stress eat’.

Cortisol directly competes with testosterone. Therefore, high cortisol levels can completely sabotage all of your hard efforts by negating the anabolic effects of Testosterone.

How to lower cortisol

• Reduce sugar intake and stick with low glycemic carbs
• Eat antioxidant heavy foods such as dark chocolate and blueberries
• Take a probiotic or eat fermented foods
• Stay hydrated (insufficient hydration will stress the body
• Eat a balanced diet
• Get adequate amounts of sleep
• Exercise
• Maintain a healthy relationship (dump the psyco-bitch)

Supplements that can help

• Ahwagandha-300mg’s of KSM-66 Ashwagandha given to human subjects for 60 days. The herb was able to slash cortisol levels by 27% and reduce inflammation. CLICK HERE to see more about Ashwagandha
• Arimistane-Also known as Androsta-3,5-diene-7,17-dione is just as effective at reducing cortisol as it is estrogen.  CLICK HERE to see more about Arimistane
• Fish Oil-Fish oil is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acid and you should be taking it anyway. But there have been several studies that prove its ability to reduce inflation caused by cortisol and stress.

PART 7

Do You Need Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)?

Unfortunately, for some of you the things in this book may simply not be enough to get your testosterone levels to where they need to be. In this case, you have 3 options.

1. Accept it for what it is
2. Try to get a prescription for testosterone
3. Purchase illegal steroids

Option 1 really isn’t an option at all and I advocate that you not give up.

The first thing that you need to do is find out exactly what your testosterone level is. The only way to accurately do this is with fasted bloodwork. The problem with this is finding an open-minded doctor who understands hormone replacement therapy. And if so, is he sympathetic enough to the issue enough to be willing to order the blood screening. Sadly, a lot of doctors just aren’t going to do it because they believe that ‘functional’ testosterone levels are acceptable.

TRT is still somewhat of a newer form of treatment and many doctors just simply aren’t educated in this particular field. Also consider the fact that testosterone is a steroidal hormone and steroids have a very negative public stigma attached to them. And most doctor would rather chock up someone who is complaining about symptoms of low testosterone as a way for them to get steroids legally.

Testosterone replacement is probably one of the least frequently prescribed therapeutic treatments for men’s health. Low testosterone usually affects men in later stages of life but it can affect a guy at any age. And we are seeing a growing trend in younger guys all over the word having declining levels at a younger age.

TESTOSTERONE LEVELS BY AGE

Fortunately, I have not had to be put on TRT because my levels are right where they need to be and my free test is actually a lot higher than normal. This wasn’t always the case and I actually found out through a blood test that my levels were half of what they needed to be based on charts like the one above. However, my doctor refused to give me Testosterone replacement therapy because he thought I was “still in an acceptable range”.

And I was pissed because I didn’t have very good insurance at the time and the tests cost me about $200! I went to a few other doctors and had similar outcomes. So, I researched everything I could and I was lucky enough to correct it on my own with the protocols in this guide.

There is a guy named Nate who runs a blog called Iron & Tweed. He has an outstanding three part article on his struggle with getting prescribed testosterone replacement therapy and how he was finally able to do by going around the doctor legally.

CLICK HERE to view that article.

I do suggest that every guy start getting their blood tested every year to know where they stand on this and all other health reasons. Without that $200 test, I would have never known for certain that there actually was an issue that I needed to resolve.