Unlock your potential

Feeling weaker and less energised than you used to? Try this three-pronged attack to unlock your body’s full potential.

- STEVE DOWNS

YOU CAN’T ESCAPE IT: You’re getting older. In fact, age-related hormonal decline can begin as early as age 25 and accelerate dramatically in your 30s and beyond. After 30, studies show, male testosterone drops 2–3% per year, and growth hormone (GH) production plummets 14% per decade — both of which can promote weight gain, leave you feeling sluggish and weak, and do a number on your sex drive. • But, good news: There are factors you can control so ageing doesn’t have to mean getting paunchy, wheezing up stairs, or avoiding the bedroom. Boosting hormone levels is easier — and more effective — than you’d think. • With this step-by step primer, you can stimulate the T and GH pump.

1 Train Savvier

Intense workouts involving large muscle groups, heavy resistance, and minimum rest between sets are the best prescription for testosterone production.

Cap each session at about 45 minutes and use this as your guide:

To target T levels: Choose one to two compound movements — squats, deadlifts, bentover rows, bench presses — per workout. Aim for 4 to 6 sets of 3 to 6 reps using only one to two major exercises daily.