If You’d Like to Improve Bone Density, Increase your T-Levels, and Gain Muscle and Strength, Read on Carefully…

By Elliot Newman

Many men today are couch potatoes… overweight, out-of-shape. With crappy posture, and joints that ache.

When a man is in this shape, his Testosterone Levels are likely LOWER than optimal, and that, combined with his crappy physical appearance, is likely a source of…

Low confidence.

And, when you consider that more and more men are ending up like this, at progressively YOUNGER ages, it’s not difficult to see why most men are NOT enjoying a great sex-life.

So, let me ask you this:

“Would you like to boost your testosterone levels – and get in better shape?”

You would?

GREAT.

Here’s what I suggest…

Sleep, Hydration, Nutrition, Exercise and Stress Management – “The Big 5”

If you really want to get in great shape, and have healthy hormonal levels – you have to pay attention to “The Big 5”

Here’s why:

I. Sleep… if you’re sleep isn’t optimal, EVERYTHING will suffer – including your T-Levels, the quality of your workouts, and your overall mood (so, you have to commit to getting your 7-9 hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep each night – otherwise getting ‘in shape’ and staying in shape will be tricky).

>> Here’s a great article I recently read called: The Ultimate Ancestral Guide to Better Sleep

II. Hydration… everyone is obsessing these days over what to EAT – but, what you DRINK is more important, because a 2% drop in Hydration can equal a 20% drop in performance (which ain’t good in the bedroom, boardroom or the gym!) So if you want to be ‘in shape’ with performance to match, commit to being HYDRATED (meaning: drink at least 2 litres of clean water a day)

>> Here’s an interesting article on another way to HYDRATE – if you find just drinking WATER a bit boring

III. Nutrition… yep, you gotta ‘dial this in’ if you want to be ‘in shape’ and have better Testosterone Levels. Too many men eat like KIDS these days, and it shows – you don’t get FAT and out of shape if you eat right! (So keep it clean, minimally processed, and organic whenever possible. Also, be sure to CHEW your food thoroughly, and avoid overeating)

>> I know a lot of people aren’t clear on what UNPROCESSED or ‘Minimally Processed’ means. For clarification, read this and this

IV. Exercise… if you want to be ‘in shape’ – you HAVE TO move. You have to exercise. But, if you just do what most guys do – jogging and maybe a few badly executed sit up and press ups, the best you can probably hope for is to be out of breath and suffering from shin splints, a dodgy lower back and maybe some painful shoulders too (more on how to EXERCISE correctly, shortly… )

V. Stress Management… Stress INCREASES Cortisol (which decreases Testosterone). So if you want to be strong and in-shape, you have to find a way to manage your stress levels – which, in today’s Modern World, can be tricky. Here are 7 suggestions: Take a daily walk, eat in a calm and relaxed environment, do more things you enjoy, fix any broken relationships, meditate, sleep more, and lift WEIGHTS.

>> For more on how to de-stress – this is a great article

Now, in the remainder of this blog post, I’m going to show you:

How to Exercise in a Way that Improves Bone Density, Increases Testosterone, and Builds Muscle and Strength…

As men age, Testosterone Levels fall.

How fast this happens to you, and by how much, is largely determined by your GENETICS, and your LIFESTYLE.

Another thing you have to contend with as you age is a loss of BONE DENSITY. Falling is no big deal when you’re a kid – you just bounce back up! Or, get up and ‘walk it off’

However, for older people, a fall can mean MONTHS of inactivity and slow recovery – or even ‘the end’ (my great grandmother fell out of bed at 95, broke her hip, and that was all she wrote. GAME OVER).

A third problem (sorry to pile on the AGONY) as you age, is losing Muscle and Strength – and gaining body-fat.

So, as you age, you have to contend with:

• Loss of Bone Density (making broken bones more likely)
• Lower Testosterone (decreasing sex-drive, erection quality, confidence, drive, determination, motivation, energy and more)
• Loss of Muscle and Strength, and gains in Body-Fat (further hurting your confidence, and making simple day-to-day tasks like carrying the shopping, hitting the tennis courts or golf links, or playing ‘rough and tumble’ with your kids or grandkids, more difficult than you’d like it to be)

Question:

“Is there a way to exercise that’d SLOW DOWN these issues, or even help you to GAIN Bone Density, Increase Testosterone Levels, and Build Muscle and Strength – even once you’re into your 50’s, 60’s and beyond?”

Yout bet there is!

And, I’ll show you how to do it right now…

Disclaimer: Before making any lifestyle changes – including embarking on a new diet or exercise routine – please consult with your Physician. I’m not telling YOU what to do. I’m simply telling you what I might do if I was YOU!

Here’s The First Thing You Gotta Do…

Take a 10 minute walk daily. 

Do more if you want. But, make a 10 minute walk each day ‘the minimum.’

Why do I recommend a 10 minute walk daily?

Because it lowers your stress levels – which helps your testosterone levels. 

Because it improves your posture – provided you look straight ahead, walk with good posture, and allow your arms to swing freely.

Because it is good for the heart and lungs.

Because it aids digestion.

And, quite honestly – I don’t care WHEN you do your walk. Just get it in.

Next… Do Some Sensible Resistance Training

I recommend you do this 2-5 times a week.

Once a week is okay, but progress will be slow.

6-7 times a week is possible (I do this myself), but it’s very easy to overdo it, and find yourself burned out, if you’re not an expert at program design (and, just to be blunt… you’re probably NOT).

Here are 11 Rules for Successful Resistance Training (that Builds Muscle & Strength):

1. Do Total Body Workouts or an Upper/Lower Split

If you train 2 or 3 times a week, train your ENTIRE BODY in each session. You could do Bench Presses, Rows and Squats. Or, Military Presses, Pull Ups and Deadlifts. 

If you train 4 or 5 days a week, an Upper/Lower Split works best.

I personally like 4 days a week:

Monday: Upper

Tuesday: Lower

Thursday: Upper

Saturday: Lower

>> THIS article explains more about how to split up your training

2. Include Plenty of Original Strength in your Workouts

Original Strength is an amazing movement system. 

I recommend doing it BEFORE your Resistance Training sessions – as the first part of your warm up. Between exercises, while you are resting. And, at the end of your sessions, to ‘reset’ your body.

I could write all about it here. Instead, I just suggest you check out their website: www.OriginalStrength.net and buy one of their books on Amazon. Because there’s no point me repeating what they can say BETTER than me!

3. Start your Sessions with a Good Warm Up

Original Strength may be all you need to do to WARM UP before your Resistance Training Exercises.

However, you might like to do a more involved warm up, that takes 10-20 minutes. It could look something like this:

• 2-3 minutes on a treadmill, stationary bike or rower (very easy)
• 2-3 minutes of Original Strength
• Joint Circling (click here to learn more)

Then:

• A general warm up with weights. THIS video does a very good job explaining how it’s done

4. When Your Fresh, Do Big Compound Movements

Once you’re thoroughly warm, you’ll want to start your workout with BIG COMPOUND EXERCISES.

This means exercises where movement takes place at more than one joint. These exercises allow you to lift the most weight – and therefore: get the biggest gains in bone density, strength, muscle and Testosterone.

Good examples include:

Bench Presses

Incline Presses

Military Presses

Wall Handstand Push Ups (see video below):

Or:

Any kind of Barbell Squat

Any kind of Barbell Deadlift (see video below):

Or:

You could even start your sessions with something like Turkish Get Ups – which build incredibly strong and stable shoulders, a rock-solid mid-section, flexible hips, balance, coordination and more (see video below… that’s 44kg btw):

5. When You’re Tired, Do Smaller Isolation Exercises

Towards the end of your training sessions, when you’re not as fresh, do smaller, isolation exercises.

Here we’re talking about things like:

Bicep Curls

Lateral Raises

Tricep Extensions

Hamstring Curls

Ab Work

And so on.

6. Use Mostly Free Weights

Free Weights – meaning: Barbells, Dumbbells, Kettlebells, and Bodyweight Exercises, have several benefits over using Resistance Machines:

• They build balance and coordination. Machines do not
• They are less likely to cause overuse injuries – because you can develop your own style on each exercise (whereas a machine forces you to use it’s exact path/line of resistance, over and over again)
• They build athleticism, and carry over to everyday activities, and athletic activities, better than the strength built on machines

If you do use machines, use them at the end of your session, and get your best work in on the free weights.

7. Pay Attention to Reps, Sets, % of 1RM, and Rest Periods

I could write a whole book on this subject. However, here are a few guidelines:

• To build Muscle and Strength, 5 sets of 5 reps, with 2-5 minutes of rest between sets, is a great set/rep scheme
• To make your training more efficient, pair opposing exercises back to back. For instance, Bench Presses and One Arm Rows. Or Military Presses and Pull Ups. This way you can do a set of Presses, rest 1.5-2.5 minutes, do a set of Rows or Pull Ups, rest 1.5-2.5 minutes and so on. You basically get the same rest between set of THE SAME exercise, but overall you get TWICE as much work done
• For pure strength gains, go HEAVY and use 1-3 reps per set. 3 x 3 is one option. 5 doubles another. 10 singles another. Rest 3-5 minutes between sets
• For muscle gains, go higher in reps – 6-12 per set works great. And, lower the rest periods to 60-90 seconds

>> Here is probably the best article I’ve ever read on sets/reps

8. Dial In Your Technique

Whatever exercises you choose to do, your Technique must always be a consideration. And, it must always be VERY GOOD before you add load.

Why?

Because great technique will maximize your strength gains, and minimize your risk of injury.

I believe the best way to learn technique on the basic Barbell, Bodyweight and Kettlebell lifts is through my friend Pavel’s Company: Strongfirst.

9. If it Hurts, STOP

Jesus Christ people are dumb in the gym!

Heck, I’ve been guilty of this myself.

You push and push until something HURTS. Then you keep going until you get injured.

DON’T do this.

If something hurts, here’s what I recommend:

• Stop doing it. If you push, hurt will turn to INJURY. Then you’ll be going backwards instead of making gains
• Find exercises that give a similar effect, without pain. For instance, in 2019 I hurt my pec while Bench Pressing. So I switched to Overhead Pressing for a while. This allowed my pec to heal, while still making my shoulders and triceps stronger
• Do more Original Strength! Whenever I have an ache or pain, Original Strength helps! Always. I just do MORE of it and it tends to work like Magic
• Seek out professional help… get massage, physio and chiropractic treatments as necessary (just PLEASE make sure to seek out the very best therapist you can, instead of just being LAZY and going to whoever is nearest)

10. Change Things Up Every 4 Weeks

This keeps you INTERESTED and MOTIVATED – because it prevents the training becoming BORING.

It also helps to avoid overuse injuries, by changing the ‘pressure points’ in your training.

Now, when I say “change things up” – you have to do this INTELLIGENTLY. I don’t mean go from golf, to tennis, to skydiving and so on. That’d be dumb, and a path to never getting good at anything.

I mean:

4 weeks of Bench Press

4 weeks of Low Incline Bench Press

4 weeks of Close Grip Bench Press

4 weeks of Steep Incline Bench Press

See that?

Same muscles worked, just in slightly different ways.

Here’s another example:

4 weeks of Squats

4 weeks of Front Squats

4 weeks of Safety Squat Bar Squats

4 weeks of Zercher Squats

This is referred to at Strongfirst as “same but different” – same KIND of exercise, slightly different way of executing it.

11. Train Intelligently Hard

Look.

To build bone density and improve your Testosterone Levels – you have to train hard.

Same goes for building muscle and strength – you HAVE TO train hard.

Most people don’t train hard enough…

When I used to train in a commercial gym I’d see people riding the stationary bike while reading the newspaper…

I’d see guys ‘training’ while TALKING about who they slept with last Friday night…

I’d see people lifting weights that my 5 year old daughter would LAUGH at.

If you don’t train hard enough, results will not come.

However…

It is possible to train TOO HARD. If you train so hard your technique falls to pieces – that’s asking for INJURY.

If you train so hard you end up run down and ill – that’s not good.

So, how HARD should you train?

Hard enough to make progress!

A good rule of thumb is to push your top set on every exercise to ‘technical failure’ – meaning: do as many reps as you can with PERFECT form. 

STOP on the last rep you could get, without compromising your technique.

For more info on HOW HARD should you train, I recommend watching this video.

*

I’ve thrown A LOT at you here.

But, you need to know if, if you want better bone density, higher T-Levels, more muscle and strength and so on.

My advice?

Re-read the blog post, make notes, make a plan, and get to work. Because knowledge ain’t power till you MAN UP and TAKE ACTION!

Got comments or questions?

Leave ‘em below and I’ll get back to you ASAP…