June 14, 2021
I’ve written before about how special attention paid to my physical health really helped me during my own faith deconstruction. In that article, I discussed the important benefits of lifting heavy weights in the gym to build strength for myself as opposed to always relying on God’s strength which, obviously, turned out to not be there at all.
But anyone who knows even a moderate amount about weight-lifting and gym-going understands that the work you do in the gym is only one part of the equation. Diet and other aspects of bodily health are equally important, possibly even more important than what you do in the gym. It makes sense—you do heavy work in the gym for an hour a day or every other day, but you’re taking care of and maintaining your body 24/7. You can leave the gym, but you never leave your body.
And one big component of bodily health for a Deconverted Man is his testosterone.
If you’re a man, or you identify as a man, and nurturing a healthy masculine energy is important to you, then you should keep a close eye on your testosterone levels.
When your testosterone is at optimal levels, you’ll more readily experience the positive aspects of masculine energy. You’ll have more energy, build muscle faster, be more assertive, have more focus, be more ambitious, have sharper thinking, and have a higher sex drive, among other positive things.
That means if you’re a guy who frequently suffers from low energy or lethargy and you just can’t seem to get motivated and stay focused, then my first suggestion to you would be to have your testosterone levels checked. There’s a strong chance they’re low. If they turn out to be low, then that’s valuable information. You can begin taking steps to naturally raise it rather than resorting to medicines or stimulants.
A quick caveat: optimizing your testosterone and increasing your masculine energy comes with the risk of also increasing the negative aspects of masculinity as well (becoming overly aggressive, suppressing your emotions, etc.). This does not mean that testosterone is evil and that you should actively strive to reduce it. The key to avoiding or remedying the negative characteristics of unchecked masculine energy is to become more balanced with your feminine energy.
Also: I am not a doctor. Consult with your doctor or health care provider before taking action on anything you read in this article.
First things first: how do you check your testosterone? Simple. You book an appointment with one of the many labs in your city and you have them draw your blood. Tell them you’re interested in knowing your T levels and they’ll give you a report in a few days.
The numbers on the report will probably range anywhere from 200-1000 ng/dL (American units; convert if you’re outside of the US) and it’ll depend on numerous factors: your age, your overall health, your lifestyle, etc.
When it comes to testosterone, you’ll find a wide range of information in your research. For one thing, overall T levels in men in general have dropped in recent times. Therefore, if you try to search for “normal” levels, you’ll be given what’s considered “normal” these days which, in my opinion, isn’t normal. Additionally, you’ll find the common fact that T levels drop as men age, which is also considered “normal.” While it may be “normal” it doesn’t have to be normal for you. You can make lifestyle adjustments to keep your T levels on par with an 18-year-old guy even as you get older.
For me, I strive to keep my levels between 800-1000 ng/dL. That’s a youthful level bordering on high. I don’t want to go too high, because once again, the key here is to not get out of balance.
If you get your testosterone levels checked and your numbers are low and you would like to raise them, how do you do it? Honestly, you do it with some simple things that you’ve probably heard before:
Lift heavy weights.
As I discussed in my article on physical strength, performing the compound lifts with a barbell is a full-body exercise that will increase your body’s production of testosterone, among many other benefits.
Get good sleep.
During sleep, testosterone forms along with many other reparative bodily processes. When you don’t get enough sleep, you narrow the window of opportunity for your body to take care of itself. Aim for seven to eight hours per night.
Reduce stress.
I believe one reason T-levels have dropped for men all over the world is the constant state of stress they live under. Our world has grown to be too busy and too loud with too many distractions and too much fear. I know reducing stress is easier said than done, but stress is a testosterone killer.
Have sex.
There’s hardly a better way to get in touch with your masculine energy than to express it sexually. With it comes a release of testosterone.
Conclusion
The human body is truly amazing and we’re lucky to live in an era where it’s so simple to learn valuable information about it in hardly any time at all. Please do yourself a favor and have your blood drawn so you can take a peek under the hood. You check the oil levels in your car, don’t you? There’s literally no reason to not regularly check your T-levels to make sure you’re moving through life as optimally as possible.
The topic of testosterone runs deep but what I’ve given you here is a great way to get started.