- More The Man
- Posts
- 🥊 How to fight in the war against testosterone
🥊 How to fight in the war against testosterone
🤖 Move like Iron Man or Tin Man?
Jeremy Zimmerman
September 28, 2024
In partnership with
Happy Saturday - Life is often (and correctly) characterized as a fight. Why is that? Why can’t life be more like a vacation? There is the economic answer: Stuff you need and want are in limited supply so if you want some, you have for fight for it. There is certainly truth to that but we believe there is a deeper and more satisfying answer.
Fighting, whether it be with self-destructive impulses or irrational or malicious people, is suffering. Suffering defines value. The more you suffer for something, the more valuable it is to you. You can resent the suffering, surrender, shrivel and die (not pretty.) But if you choose to see in the suffering the opportunity to learn and become more (capable, compassionate, confident), you become you … better.
Think on that, grasshopper. With that, we welcome you to the sixth issue of MoreTheMan and the conclusion of our three-part testosterone series where you will learn ways to fight back. Then you will have a choice to make: Will you fight?
Ease into investing
Ease being the key word. With automated tool like portfolio rebalancing and dividend reinvestment, Betterment makes investing easy for you, and a total grind for your money.
This week’s manly topics:
🧠 BRAIN FOOD Find out how you can fight back in the war against testosterone in part three of our testosterone series.
🚀 ACTION Imagine a car with a V12 engine and a lawnmower transmission. That’s what its like being jacked and stiff. We provide the solution.
📰 NEWS We scoured the web and found useful stuff to share with you. This week’s topics include nutrition news as well as style and finance tips.
🔎 WHAT ABOUT YOU What do you think about the MoreTheMan newsletter? Let us know by participating in our first reader survey.
PLUS, subscriber-only offers from our sponsors and partners. Let’s go!
BRAIN FOOD
How to fight in the war against testosterone
In previous MTM’s, we've explored testosterone's role as the masculine "flux capacitor" and how the “War on Testosterone” has led to dramatic testosterone level declines. In MTM #6, we dive into the research to bring you two proven strategies you can employ to boost your testosterone: resistance training and optimizing sleep.
T-Boost Strategy #1: Resistance Training
Research proves heavy resistance training is men’s most potent natural testosterone booster. Multiple studies have demonstrated significant increases in testosterone levels following resistance exercise, both immediately after exercising and over time.
How It Works
Resistance training acts as an endocrine stimulator through several mechanisms:
Acute hormonal response: A 2016 study by Kraemer et al. found that resistance exercise can cause immediate spikes in testosterone levels, with increases of up to 25 to 40 percent observed immediately post-exercise.
Increased muscle mass: As you build more muscle tissue through consistent training, your body increases its capacity to produce and use testosterone.
Improved insulin sensitivity: Regular resistance training enhances your body's ability to manage blood sugar, which indirectly supports healthy testosterone production.
Reduced body fat: Excess body fat causes testosterone to be transformed into estrogen. By adding muscle you are increasing your metabolic rate which burns more calories. Burning more calories means shedding fat which protects your testosterone from being changed to estrogen.
Practical Tips
To maximize the testosterone-boosting effects of resistance training, consider the following:
Focus on compound joint movements: Exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and rows engage multiple large muscle groups, stimulating a greater hormonal response.
Lift heavy: Aim for weights that allow you to perform three to five sets of six to ten repetitions, reaching near-failure by the end of each set.
Keep rest periods moderate: 60 to 90 seconds between sets appears optimal for testosterone response.
Train consistently: Aim for at least two to three resistance training sessions per week and train around the same time each time you train.
Progressive overload: Gradually increase the weight, reps, or sets over time to continually challenge your muscles.
T-Boost Strategy #2: Sleep
While often overlooked, sleep is crucial for maintaining healthy testosterone levels. In fact, research suggests that sleep quality and duration may be just as important as exercise for optimal hormone production.
How It Works
Sleep influences testosterone production through several pathways:
Circadian rhythm: Testosterone production follows a daily cycle, with levels peaking in the early morning. Disrupted sleep patterns can interfere with this natural rhythm.
Growth hormone release: Deep sleep stages trigger the release of growth hormone, which works synergistically with testosterone to promote muscle growth and recovery.
Stress reduction: Quality sleep helps lower cortisol levels. Since cortisol and testosterone have an inverse relationship, lower cortisol allows for higher testosterone production.
Cellular repair: Sleep is when your body performs much of its repair and regeneration work, including in the testosterone-producing Leydig cells of the testes.
A study by Leproult and Van Cauter (2011) found that men who slept for five hours per night for one week had 10 to 15 percent lower testosterone levels compared to when they slept for eight hours per night.
Practical Tips
To optimize your sleep for testosterone production:
Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night: This range appears optimal for most adults to support healthy testosterone levels.
Maintain a consistent sleep schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up at similar times each day, even on weekends.
Create a sleep-friendly environment: Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Consider blackout curtains or a white noise machine.
Limit blue light exposure before bed: The blue light from digital screens can interfere with melatonin production. Adjust screen light settings or reduce screen time 30 to 60 minutes before bed.
Avoid alcohol and large meals close to bedtime: Both can interfere with sleep quality and hormone production. Consider getting started with intermittent fasting.
While resistance training and sleep are powerful individually, their effects are synergistic when combined. The muscle breakdown from training stimulates repair processes during sleep, leading to both muscle growth and increased testosterone production.
Fight or fade?
As we discovered in MTM #4, the war against testosterone is raging and, if you are not fighting, you are losing. I understand that “fighting” is going to require significant lifestyle changes and you are going to have to put in the work for a few weeks before you start feeling and seeing the benefit.
You don’t need to immediately run out and join a gym (though most guys get more benefit from gym training than home training.) If you are starting from scratch, just start applying the knowledge and routines provided in past issues.
Most importantly, keep reading each MTM issue, apply what you are learning, build these habits that fuel your masculinity and celebrate yourself for the decisions and progress you are making. Stay tuned for future issues where we will get into questions like, “Should I join a gym?” and “Where do I start with weight lifting?”
TAKE ACTION
Flexibility: Move like Iron Man and not Tin Man
In these early MTM issues, we are building a foundation of knowledge you will need to enjoy the benefits of exercise while minimizing the less desirable stuff (prolonged soreness, reduced range of motion and sidelining injuries.) In this context, think of flexibility as capability to translate muscular strength and cardiovascular capacity into movement.
After all, you don’t want to look good. You want to move well. So let’s dedicate a few moments to equipping you with some flexibility knowledge you can apply today.
First, let’s consider where and how flexibility delivers benefits.
Preparing for Exercise
A dynamic warm-up that incorporates stretching is key to priming your body for activity. This type of warm-up increases blood flow, elevates heart rate, and moves joints through their full range of motion. By doing so, it helps reduce the risk of injury and improves overall performance during your workout.
Enhancing Recovery
While static stretching immediately before exercise may negatively impact performance, it can be beneficial when done after a workout or as part of your cool-down routine. Post-exercise stretching can help alleviate muscle tension, reduce soreness, and improve overall recovery. However, it's important to note that stretching alone isn't a cure-all for muscle soreness - it should be part of a comprehensive recovery strategy.
Improving Circulation
Stretching promotes better blood flow throughout the body. This increased circulation helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscles more efficiently, which is crucial for both performance and recovery. Better circulation can also aid in the removal of metabolic waste products that accumulate during exercise.
Mental Relaxation
The benefits of flexibility extend beyond the physical. Stretching can be a form of moving meditation, helping to reduce stress and promote mental relaxation. This mind-body connection can enhance overall well-being and contribute to a more balanced fitness routine.
Add these three flexibility elements to your routine
To enjoy the benefits of improved flexibility, add these three actions into your fitness routine:
Begin each workout with dynamic stretching movements like leg swings, arm circles, and walking lunges.
End your exercise sessions with five to ten minutes of static stretching, holding each stretch for 30 to 60 seconds.
On rest days, engage in activities that promote flexibility, like yoga, to maintain and improve your range of motion.
Make flexibility training a core element of your physical training. By doing so, you will look, feel and move like the athletic, masculine man you aspire to be.
📣 NEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB 📣
Note that our providing these links does not constitute an endorsement of the writer’s or publisher’s perspective. We try to filter out propaganda but sometimes good information is laced with bias. As with everything you read and watch, process with a critical perspective.
Nutrition
This year’s diet fad, the Mediterranean diet, is said to do wonders for cardiovascular health. Turns out it does and, unlike many fad diets, it doesn’t require radical changes and may actually save you money. Research here and tips on getting started here. Courtesy American Heart Association and Harvard Health respectively.
How much daily protein do you need to build muscle? Turns out the “one gram per pound of bodyweight” advice is accurate but timing is also important. Be sure to ingest one-tenth to one-quarter of a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight within two hours of exercising. Courtesy Healthline.
Style & Finance
Chasing the latest clothing fashion runs the risk of leaving the impression you are either trying too hard … or you’re not trying hard enough. What’s the alternative? Exude confidence by dressing with style appropriate for your age. Courtesy Real Men Real Style.
That our economy is awful and men at just about every demographic level are struggling is not news. What might be news are the proliferation of side hustles you can use to bring in some much needed cash. Courtesy GOBankingrates
MTM needs your help!
Would you help us improve the quality of our content and service by taking a two-question survey?
Thank you for your time and for helping us help you be “you … better”.
Become a better version of yourself with Lumen
Your metabolism has an impact on everything from how you look to how you perform. With Lumen, the world's first metabolic coach that analyzes breath, you can enhance your dietary choices, optimize your sleep patterns, and boost your metabolic flexibility using personalized guidance based on your results. Lumen enables you to make smarter, more effective choices for your health, leading you to a happier, healthier you.
Thanks for joining us for our sixth issue and stay tuned for MTM issue seven next Saturday morning.
If you found value in what we shared, please share More The Man with family and friends and help us build a community of exceptional men that includes YOU.
Questions about anything you read or suggestions for future topics? Send a note to Jeremy.
Sponsorship or advertising questions? Send a note to Will.
Reply