Testosterone boosting workouts take a little more TLC than those of the average mold.

They don’t just happen. They’re planned.

When it comes to building a testosterone-friendly gym session you have to keep in mind that your workout isn’t just about your exercises. It’s about everything before, after and in-between.

I know, it sounds like a little extra work to add to your workout, but paying attention to your testosterone will pay off in the gym. Here are 7 secrets for a testosterone boosting workout:

Secret 1: Coffee Pre-workout

One key to a testosterone boosting workout is found in the magical fruit:

Beans.

Coffee beans, that is…

The caffeine found in coffee is favorable to your workout…

When you drink a cup of coffee about an hour before your workout, studies have shown that you increase your testosterone production by 12% during your workout…

Naturally, higher levels of testosterone will result in better maximum lift efforts and more muscular endurance throughout your workout.

Your testosterone boosting pre-workout coffee will translate into a better performance in the gym.

Keep in mind that a frappe from Starbucks doesn’t count.

Pro Tip: Keep your coffee black for the best results.

Secret 2: Stay Hydrated

Hydration is clutch for your growth hormone…

It’s clutch, not because hydration boosts your testosterone to the umpteenth percentage, but because of its counterpart, dehydration, causes an increase in cortisol, which is testosterone’s kryptonite…

In other words, dehydration stunts your natural testosterone production.

As you drink plenty of water before and during your workout you’re creating a shield of defense against raised cortisol levels…

By doing this, you’re keeping your testosterone levels high throughout your workout. The higher your testosterone levels are throughout your workout, the better your results will be.

After all, it worked for Bugs Bunny didn’t it?

Secret 3: Short Rest Periods Between Exercises (1-2 minutes)

The longer you chill out between sets, the less likely your testosterone is to hang around…

Rest time between sets is important to your overall performance and testosterone health in the gym.

It’s the glue that binds your working sets together to form the biggest results.

If you want a true testosterone boosting workout, you’ll need to be on the ball.

Now, we’re not talking about a rapid-fire workout here.

Pro Tip: Your rest periods between exercises should fall somewhere between 1-2 minutes.

Resting 1-2 minutes between sets has a two-for-one benefit…

It both increases your testosterone levels during your workout and your growth hormone as well. It’s the optimal place you want to be when striving to stay anabolic.

Secret 4: No Whey Protein

If you’ve ever talked nutrition with a gym rat, you’ve probably heard of the copious amounts of protein you “need” to consume to get “swole”.

Well, I don’t hate to break it to you; but the protein binge is a myth for those of us looking to increase our testosterone levels in the gym.  

Out of the three macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats), protein is the sneaky thief that’s stealing from your t-count.

When your protein intake passes 25g (one serving of whey protein) your testosterone is in grave danger.

In order to have a testosterone boosting workout, you want to keep away from the protein intra workout as well as during your workout…

I’ve written an article filled with all the studies you need here.

Remember, a scoop of whey a day keeps the testosterone away.

Secret 5: Exercise Large Muscle Groups

When searching for the optimal testosterone boosting workout, remember that working out big muscle groups will result in big testosterone levels.

Compound movements such as Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, and Bent Over Rows are sure-fire exercises to increase your testosterone both during your workout and for prolonged hours, even days after you perform them.

Pro Tip: The more muscles you lift in a single exercise, the better.

When you work out larger muscle groups through compound movements, make sure you focus on your form.

A bench press won’t boost your testosterone if it consists of wild repetitions and squirming under the barbell…

Likewise, if your deadlifts are all back and little legs, you won’t only kill your back, but you’ll also kill your chances of a testosterone boosting workout…

For the best results slow down your repetitions, be mindful of the muscles you’re working and give your all-out effort.

The bottom line: When you choose your exercises for the day, bigger is better.

Secret 6: 5g Creatine Post-Workout

Sure, you can take creatine pre-workout or post-workout and still experience some awesome effects…

However, this article is about giving you the BEST pre, intra, and post workout rituals for maximum muscle gains, fat loss, and increase in testosterone.

Which is why I recommend consuming creatine monohydrate post workout…

According to new research published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition, consuming 5g of creatine post workout helped men gain more lean muscle mass while increasing their one-rep bench press max higher than the group who took the supplement pre-workout.

Although both groups experienced increases in both. It’s the men who consumed creatine-monohydrate post-workout who made the greatest gains.

Yet the fun doesn’t stop there for creatine.

Because it’s also one of the most powerful natural testosterone boosters researched to date.

Creatine increases testosterone levels while also converting it into a more bio-available form called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

DHT has roughly 3-10 times the potency of testosterone (in fact, DHT is the strongest androgen in the male body).

One study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine found creatine has positive effects on the skill execution abilities of people who are sleep deprived.

They found creatine significantly increased salivary testosterone levels…

So if you’re someone who has a busy schedule and has trouble getting enough sleep throughout the week, although sleep is far more beneficial, supplementing with creatine monohydrate may be helpful.

Now, although overtraining is a must to avoid, here’s another powerful example of creatine on your testosterone levels.

A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology had 17 men who were partaking in short-term overtraining in the gym.

They were divided into 2 groups, the first one got 0.3 grams of creatine per kg of bodyweight, and the second group received a placebo.

The results showed even during overtraining, the creatine group was able to preserve their power output greater than the placebo group, and the creatine group had continuously higher total and free testosterone levels.

Basically, the creatine helped them maintain some decent testosterone levels.

Now imagine combining creatine monohydrate without the overtraining and with amazing sleep quality…

You’ll be a testosterone-pumping machine! Speaking of sleep…

Secret 7: Get Quality Sleep the Night Before

Have you ever trudged your way into the gym after a poor night’s sleep?

That trudging is probably due to your testosterone desperately clinging to the bed saying, “Hey buddy, I need more sleep!”

Sleep is crucial to a testosterone boosting workout…

Out of all of the secrets we’ve mentioned above, a good night’s sleep is at the base of the pyramid. Without it, you might as well kiss your testosterone goodbye…

So if you’ve convinced yourself that sleep is a waste of time, you need to think again.

Sure, planning for effective sleep will involve making a sacrifice here and there, but it’s vital to your health…

One study has shown that men who sleep for eight hours a night have more than double the amount of testosterone production than those accruing four hours of sleep a night.

In fact, when you sleep, your body produces testosterone.

When you hit a REM cycle of sleep your brain sends a message to your stones to produce testosterone for the day ahead.

This testosterone production won’t only benefit your gym performance, but will also benefit every other area of your daily life as well…

You can learn more about how to achieve Anabolic Sleep every night, here.

There you have it…

7 secrets for a testosterone boosting workout.

Sure, structuring a testosterone boosting workout takes a little bit more TLC than your average workout. But, hey, it’ll pay dividends for your health.

Take some time to plan how you can implement these 7 secrets into your workout to see your plate count and your t-count increase.