Looking to increase testosterone levels

[JStaudt]

Background info:
Age:19
Weight: 167
Height: 6'1"
Attending college (which means my sleep pattern is terrible, and my nutrition intake is shady at best)
I work out 5 days a week, taking the weekends as rest.

I've been experiencing lots of tiredness, decrease in sex drive and well, a lot of the symptoms described by low testosterone levels. This post is NOT about putting on size or muscle, it would be a nice side affect, but not the desired goal. After doing some research I've decided to pick up the following:
A good solid multi-vit (no brainer here)
I'm looking at Animal Pak
ZMA
NOW ZMA
and possibly
Tribulus Terristris
Higher Power Tribulus Terristris (After doing some searches here you guys seem to say its useless, however Im looking for a sex drive increase, will this do it?)

The feedback I'm looking for is: Are these all good products (bang for buck and do they work well - I'm really looking to fix these problems I'm having) and can I take them in conjunction with eachother?

Thanks a ton!

[Paul Stagg]

Given your description, none of the listed supplements will solve your problem.

Tribulus isn't worth using.

I don't think ZMA increases test, but there are good reasons to use it if you are a lifter. I don't use Animal products (they are entirely too hardcore for me, with all the darkness and brooding), but I do use and recommend (with no compensation) At Large's ETS.

[Unreal]

Sex drive is a huge function of diet. What are you eating? 5 days of working out in a row is also a bad idea. Sounds like your diet and training suck, and it is starting to effect you in other ways.

[JStaudt]

My diet has been extremely out of whack since its heavily dependent on dorm food. I normally try to eat 5-6 600 calorie meals spread out every 2-3 hours.

My training is usually two core muscle groups a day, looking like:
Day 1: Tri's/Bi's/Chest
Day 2: Back/Legs
Day 3: Core (Lower back/Abs)
Day 4: Tri's/Bi's (it just loops from here on out)
With some variation depending on how I'm feeling after my last workout.

Its really just designed that way to make a habit out of going to the gym frequently, otherwise I slip out of it and stop going.

I do have major sleep problems (Usually I get 8 hours of sleep, just not all in one cycle.) Although currently on break I'm becoming a bit of an insomniac and its starting to show.

I went ahead and ordered the multi-vit and the ZMA (the multi-vit just seems like a good idea to take since my nutrition HAS to be low with the food available to me and I've read quite a bit about ZMA doing wonders for sleep.).

[Ben Moore]

You're 19 - you have all the test in the world already in ya.

[Paul Stagg]

You need to revisit your training and diet. Both could be contributing to your issue.

[Travis Bell]

cafeteria food is a killer

when I was in the dorms, I ended up buying a george foreman grill, a tiny freezer along with my mini fridge and an electric skillet. I could cook my eggs, steaks and chicken and heat up beans, pasta in the microwave. You just have to get creative. It sucks, but actually by the second year of doing it, we had weekly steak night in my hall and tons of guys liked to use the foreman for cooking their chicken and the like. Worked great. Speaking of which, I need to go eat

[Legionzero]

I agree that a nutritious diet, regular exercise (both resistance and cardio), and 8 contiguous hours of sleep is the most important piece of the puzzle for anyone. It seems many people want to cut corners and just take a pill. Who can blame them? I'm still curious to hear what the more informed of you have to say regarding the concept of boosting testosterone without supplementation. I remember reading somewhere that certain types of foods boost testosterone naturally. I don't remember the exact foods, but I remember that steak was one of them (tenderloins: low in fat, high in better quality protein).

Thoughts?

[csi]

I guess this sorta applies but I saw on Oprah(don't ask, well bored and it was penis day on the show) for people with ED eating 4 cloves of Raw garlic a day significantly helped attain, prolong erections.

[kevowamo]

ate fours cloves of garlic and had dragon breath, thus not scoring often, therefore nervous when the chance actually comes around. result = ed again

[csi]

I think you got to keep at it for a few months. Rarely do you hear of any remedy being immediate, but again I do not know for sure consult your doctor.

[bjohnso]

You're diet and sleep pattern probably have a lot more to do with your condition than your test levels. When was the last time you took a break from exercise? Your routine also looks a little lackluster, IMO.

[dogsoldier]

New guy here. Gotta tell you. AT 19, you don't need anything to increase your test. At your age, you should be humping the leg of every pretty girl on the campus.

But again at your age, you wanna up your T?

Lift BIG. Do squats, deads, bench press, the whole deal. If you want to do 5 days per week, then do one body part per day. Bust your ass in the gym and your T will go up.

Also, eat clean. Plenty of proteins, carbs from green veggies, easy on the fats.

The real key is work out hard, go easy on the alcohol, get enough sleep and eat right.

[Built]

New guy here. Gotta tell you. AT 19, you don't need anything to increase your test. At your age, you should be humping the leg of every pretty girl on the campus.

But again at your age, you wanna up your T?

Lift BIG. Do squats, deads, bench press, the whole deal. If you want to do 5 days per week, then do one body part per day. Bust your ass in the gym and your T will go up.

Also, eat clean. Plenty of proteins, carbs from green veggies, easy on the fats.

The real key is work out hard, go easy on the alcohol, get enough sleep and eat right.


I agree with most of this - except the recommendation to go easy on the fats. You need to keep those up - saturated fats in particular. The other thing is the bodypart split idea. There are, of course, far better ways to train than bodypart splits.

[Hatred]

And don't forget to expose your testicles to UV light.