Life and Fitness Coach

How to have a T-errific sex life

Testosterone fuels sexual power in both men and women. Here's how to ensure you're stocked up:

1. Exercise heavy and hard. Throwing around 3-pound dumbbells isn’t going to hack it. A Finnish study found that working at about 85% of your one-rep max for about six repetitions will increase testosterone.
   Doing exercises that use several muscle groups at once are best. Do "compound" exercises, like squats, bench press and back rows for three sets.


2. Decrease estrogen. Body fat increases estrogen and in turn decreases testosterone, a study at the University of Pittsburgh found. A pound or two generally won’t hurt, but 30% or more over your ideal weight will cause a hormonal shift.


3. Lose weight slowly. Starvation and Atkins-type diets decrease testosterone. When you cut calories drastically your body goes into starvation mode and subsequently stops making testosterone. (It does this because if you were starving you would not be trying to reproduce.) Penn State University found in a recent study that high amounts of dietary protein in the blood decreased testosterone produced by the tests.


4. Increase omega fatty acids. Studies have shown dietary "good" fats have a positive effect on testosterone. Your body needs fat to produce testosterone.


5. Don't overtrain. According to a study at the University of North Carolina, your circulating testosterone can plummet by as much as 40% if you don’t take adequate rest between workout days. I recommend working out four days per week and no more than two days in a row.


6. Cut back on alcohol. Alcohol affects the endocrine system, causing your testes to stop producing the male hormone.


7. Get enough sleep. Sleeping fewer than seven to eight hours a night can mess up your circadian rhythm, thus reducing testosterone levels.

Follow-up reading:

The Testosterone Syndrome
The Natural Testosterone Plan
The Savvy Woman's Guide to Testosterone

How many calories does sex burn off?

Did you know that an average-sized man burns about 65 calories during a half-hour of vigorous sex? Not all that impressive.

But if he were to talk on the phone during sex, the total hits 100 calories. Watch TV, talk on the phone and have sex at the same time then he's burned a total of 150 calories in that half-hour. Talk about interval training!

There are more sensible uses for calorie calculators, which give ballpark estimates for various activities based on the exerciser's weight and time spent -- sports such as golf, skating, karate and skateboarding, and everyday tasks such as cleaning house and shopping.

Here are a couple of online calorie-burn calculators to check out:

Healthy Weight Forum (70 activities)
Health Status (115 activities)
Internet Fitness (70 activities)

Your mileage will vary. A lot.

As for that sex estimate, let Cosmo U.K. show you ladies how to "Have 400 Calorie Sex."

More from the fitness blog: "How to have a T-errific Sex Life"

Back in April, we looked at the health benefits of sex.

Sex: fun, romance and fitness

Hey! Something that's delightful and good for you. What a concept. Check out this story from iVillage:

Many people simply enjoy a healthy sex life because sex is pleasurable. Now there's another reason to stay under the sheets; there are substantial health benefits of sex. Enjoying a rigorous romp can do wonders for everyone both physically and psychologically. Now, men everywhere can tell their ladies that sex is not only for fun, but, since there are health benefits of sex, their lives may depend on it.

Read the story on sex.

Also on the fitness blog: "How many calories does sex burn off?"