The #1 question I get from men new to boosting T levels naturally:

“Where do I start? Pills? Exercise? Something else?”

And my answer is always the same:

“Diet”

In fact:

Nutrition is the cornerstone of Androgen Hacking.

• Foods
• Calories
• Macros
• etc.

But there’s a catch:

A properly optimized testosterone diet assumes you are actively building muscle.

And today, I’m going to show you why and how to balance the two.

Let’s do this!

TOC

• Why Build Your Diet For Increasing Muscle Mass
• Increasing Muscle As A Natty Bodybuilder
• How To Think About Protein

Why You Need To Build Muscle

Exercise is a “healthy” habit - we all know that.

But let’s look at this from the perspective of testosterone optimization:

As an Androgen Hacker, why should you care about exercise?

It’s simple. More muscle = More testosterone.^(1)(2)(3)

The Science Is Incredibly Straightforward 👇

Increasing muscle is arguably the most critical step you can take to achieve higher testosterone levels.^(4)(5)(6)

Okay great!

So science tells us that the more muscle we have, the higher our testosterone levels will be - now what?

Maximizing Muscle Mass As A Natty Bodybuilder

Does that mean you should become a bodybuilder?

Well, yeah - sort of. Let me explain:

Unlike conventional bodybuilders (who use steroids), strength training is the best way to build muscle mass as a “natty”.

I’m talking about things like:

• Barbells
• Progressive overload
• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Bench
• Military press
• Etc.

Why?

Strength Training And Bodybuilding Are (Literally) The Same Thing

I know you’ve probably read otherwise in bodybuilding magazines, but you have to realize that these articles are commonly written from the perspective of men who steroids.

Check out this comprehensive article written by Michael Matthews on the science behind this idea.

I want to be extremely clear about this:

“Strength Training and Bodybuilding are one and the same.”

… that is, if you’re natty.

And by the way:

There’s no reason to make your strength training program complicated.

Stick With A Program That’s Tried And True

I recommend either:

1. Starting Strength or
2. Anything by Michael Matthews

While these are not “perfect” as exercise programs for optimizing T, they both come pretty damn close.

In that regard, Mike’s program is, in my opinion, the better of the two.

For reference, this is what my current exercise routine looks like:

It’s a super simple program really:

• Work out 3 days a week.
• 90 minutes each session.
• For each exercise, you should do 5 sets and 5 reps.
• When you bulk, don’t do any cardio.
• When you cut, incorporate HIIT on “off days”.
• Dips and pullups are weighted.

Oh. And most importantly:

Progressive Overload Is King

Add weight to the bar every single time.

Even if it’s 0.25 lbs. 👇

I use and recommend that you buy fractional plates (affiliate link).

How To Think About Protein

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

This concept can be summed up as “the minimum effective dosage”.

You need to eat just enough protein to achieve the “desired effect”.

“What is the desired effect?”

Here on Androgen Hacker:

The Primary Goal Is Always To Maximize Testosterone

And as you have learned, increasing muscle mass is a critical piece of the testosterone optimization puzzle.

So In this case, the desired effect is to maximize muscle growth.

Protein does increase T levels, but the correlation is indirect.

Research tells us that high levels of carbohydrates and dietary fat are directly correlated with increased testosterone. But this is not true for protein.

Check it out. 👇

What’s The Minimum Effective Dosage?

Protein intake at 1.8 g/kg/day provides more than enough for optimizing muscle growth and recovery.⁽⁷⁾⁽⁸⁾

Eating more protein doesn’t directly lower testosterone, but it does detract from fat and carb intake, which will result in lower T. ⁽⁹⁾

Key Takeaway:

Eat 1.8 g/kg of protein per day, but not more.

Conclusion

All dietary guidelines discussed on AnrogenHacker assume you are actively involved in a strength training program.

Pick a resistance training program, and stick with it.

If you want to get started with your testosterone diet today, you can use the form below to get the testosterone boosting foods ebook (it’s free):