4 Easy Ways To Stay Fit During COVID-19

by Aleksander Fidurski March 29, 2020

I always talk about the 4 pillars. Nutrition, Training, Lifestyle and Intelligent supplementation. In this post, I will go in-depth with each topic so that you can still stay fit during this time. I feel like I can talk about this topic because I’m certified in personal training and nutrition.

Nutrition

Healthy nutrition is the cornerstone of men's health and hormone optimization.

If you are not in the utmost genetic elite, you simply cannot have optimal testosterone levels without adhering to the core basics of nutrition for testosterone production.

Don't worry though, the way to eat for increased testosterone production, is not complicated. It all comes down to adjusting your caloric intake, setting up macronutrient goals that best suit your situation, and then choosing the right pro-testosterone foodstuffs over the kind that can prove to be harmful to endocrine health.

Calories

During this time, you most likely have low activity levels. I would recommend eating in caloric maintenance. Eat this way will keep your immune system high and you won’t gain any fat.

To eat in caloric maintenance, get your weight in pounds and multiply by 15. For example, if you’re a 200-pound individual, you will be eating 3000 calories per day.

Macronutrients

Once you know your calorie intake, you can now divide it into macronutrients.

Carbs

50% of Total Calories

4 Calories Per Gram of Carbs

Example: 3,000 ÷ 2 = 1,500 Calories

1,500 ÷ 4 = 375 Grams per Day

Protein

30% of Total Calories

Take Body Weight x .82 = Protein Intake

4 Calories Per Grams

Example: 200 x .82 = 164 Grams of Protein per Day

Fats

20% of Total Calories

9 Calories per Gram

The Remaining Calories are your Fat Intake

Example: 3,000 - 2,156 = 844

844 ÷ 9 = 94 Grams of Fat Per Day

List of foods that I recommend that you stick to. They are dense in nutrients and very filling.

Carbohydrate List for High Testosterone (Get Organic)

Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Squash
Turnips
Beets
White Rice
Any Berries
Bananas
Pineapple
Oranges
Watermelon
Melons
Cucumber
Plums
Limes
Cherries
Apples
Lemons
Pears
Kiwis
Onions
Garlic
Papaya
Mangoes
Plantains
Pomegranate
Mushrooms
Carrots
Peaches
Pickles
Olives
Tomatoes
Grapefruit
Nectarines
Bell Peppers
Chill's
Grapes
Pumpkin Flesh

Fats List for High Testosterone (Get Organic)

Butter
Coconut Oil
Animal Fats
Ghee
Avocados
Coconut Flesh
Dark Chocolate
Goat Cheese
Blue Cheese
Olive oil
Avocado Oil

Protein List for High Testosterone (Get Organic)

Turkey
Bison
Elk
Birds
Beef
Eggs
Collagen
Bone Broth
Gelatine
Liver
Chicken
Shrimp
Oysters
Squid
Cod
Crab
Scallops
Lobster

Training

Different types of exercise have different effects on our endocrine system and to the rate at which our bodies can churn out testosterone.

The optimal formula is activated as much muscle as possible in the shortest period of time while staying under YOUR stress threshold.

In simple terms, use exercises that activate a lot of muscle. In this case, push-ups, decline push-ups, plank, leg raises, etc.

Having the workout short, 30 minutes and making sure that you recover from the workout.

Here is a sample routine that you can follow every 2^nd Day:

(Each exercise to be in the 8-12 rep range, 3-5 Sets and 30 to 90-second rest + 3010 tempo)

1^st Exercise à Pistol Squat or Box Squat or Lunge (Targets the lower body)

2^nd Exercise à Push-Ups or Diamond Push-Ups or Decline Push Up

3^rd Exercise à Plank (60 Seconds)

4^th Exercise à Standing Bent over Shoulder Press or Wall Assisted Handstand Push-Ups

5^th Exercise à Lying Leg Raises or Ab Crunches

Yep, that’s it. You might think this is not enough but trust me. For you to build muscle is to progressive overload not do more exercises. Get gradually better at these exercises and you will be bigger.

Cardio

Unfortunately, most people are not allowed to leave the house so one thing you can do is genuinely just walk around the house for 1 hour. Listen to a podcast, like my Natural Testosterone Podcast or some music.

Lifestyle

Many lifestyle factors, such as smoking, the usage of alcohol, sex, sleep, prescription medication, stress, mood, confidence, and the like, can have a huge impact on our T-levels.

To keep it simple, sleep 8-9 Hours, meditate 10 Minutes, keep your stress low, Have Sex (More Cardio). Don’t sit on the couch or chair, sit on the floor to keep your posture good.

Intelligent Supplementation

Supplementation can give you that slight edge in hormonal optimization, but it's not the main thing you should focus on. Always make sure your nutrition, training, and lifestyle are optimized before you start taking any supplements. SUPPLEMENTS are to SUPPLEMENT an already good routine. Not the other way around.

I would focus on supplementing the main deficiencies that men have. Which is Zinc, Magnesium, Choline and Vitamin D. I would also include ashwagandha as it’s an amazing herb to implement?

Ashwagandha (link to one I recommend)

Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) is an herbal supplement widely used in Indian herbal medicine.

Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, an adaptogen is a botanical that greatly improves your body’s ability to adapt to stress, whether it’s a hectic schedule, heat or cold, noise, high altitudes or any number of other stressors. This elite class of herbs impart strength, energy, stamina, endurance, and improve mental clarity.

Ashwagandha has some solid scientific evidence behind its claimed adaptogen benefits which include reducing stress, anxiety, inflammation, and cortisol levels, improving sperm quality, boosting testosterone levels, improving the quality of sleep, strengthening the immune system, even balancing blood lipids.

Research A

Since ashwagandha is an adaptogen, it should reduce stress, anxiety, and balance stress hormones mainly cortisol. In this study, ashwagandha does exactly this (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23439798)

In this double-blind placebo study, 300mg of ashwagandha KSM-66 was given to human subjects for 60 days. This was able to decrease cortisol (stress hormone) by 27%. The findings of this study suggest that a high-concentration full-spectrum Ashwagandha root extract safely and 38 effectively improves an individual's resistance towards stress and thereby improves self-assessed quality of life.

Choline

Choline is also known as vitamin J, it is a water-soluble vitamin that can be found in foods like egg yolks (Organic) and liver (Organic). Choline is used for estrogen methylation and can help with cognition. I recommend that you take it in the morning as it helps with cognition. The best type of choline is choline bitartrate in the doses of 250mg to 3 grams daily.

Magnesium

Magnesium (link to one I use daily) helps with increasing testosterone levels, reduce anxiety, relaxes the nervous system and much more. Magnesium can be found in foods like dark chocolate, fruit, and coffee but supplementing is your best bet for keeping that intake consistent.

You will see different types of magnesium types and they all have different bioavailability (if you consume it, a certain percentage gets used by your body) Best type is magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate.

Use about 200 - 400mg of magnesium per day. Preferably 30 minutes before sleep.

Zinc

Zinc (Link to one I use Daily) is important for brain function, immune system, health, and is necessary for optimal testosterone production, Studies have shown that zinc supplementation when deficient can help to increase testosterone levels in men.

Zinc is found mostly in animal meats, eggs, and oysters.

The most bioavailable type of zinc is zinc citrate and zinc gluconate. Aim for 30 - 45 mg of zinc per day.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D (Link to One I Use Daily) is not actually a vitamin but rather a hormone. It's synthesized in the skin, and the more cholesterol that is available in the skin, the more that can be synthesized. But these days most people don't get enough sunlight, thus being deficient.

When using a supplement, make sure it's suspended in an MCT or coconut oil. Make sure to consume the vitamin in the morning as it's stimulating (because it's the "sun" vitamin)

The does is going to be dependent on your age and size. But typically, around 400 iu is going to be the minimum effect.