I’ve spent a lot of time in the gym over the years. From the time I first joined a commercial gym at 18 years old right up to the present day, I’ve spent countless hours moving weight around. I remember joining the gym as a rookie; I didn’t know much and I certainly didn’t feel entitled to the respect of the older, more advanced guys. There was so much I wanted to ask them, but in all honesty, I had too much respect for their time in the gym and didn’t want to bother them. I also didn’t feel that they owed me any information or answers to the questions I had.
Fast forward more than 20 years of me putting in a massive amount of time and effort, I find myself being asked a lot of questions. I realize how foolish I was when I was younger to not even attempt to absorb the knowledge of the guys ahead of me. While I can’t assume that they would have felt the same as I do now, I enjoy sharing the things I’ve learned and I find satisfaction in the idea that I might be able to save another person some time or some misguided effort. I’ve been asked questions—lots of them—but there is one question that is the most frequently asked: What can I take?
Everyone reaches a point where they’ve been training consistently for a period of time and the momentum they enjoyed early on has come to a halt. They consider their training to be on point, their diet to be adequate, and their overall lifestyle to be conducive to new progress, but they have hit a wall and they are frustrated. They want to know if there is something they can use to facilitate some new results. I’ve been there and, if you have yet to be there, let me assure you that you will be there at some point. I’ll tell you what someone once told me. “Test is best.”
Testosterone always has been and always will be the king. It’s what separates the men from the boys and the men from the MEN. Testosterone works by throwing protein synthesis into overdrive and allowing you to grow bigger, harder, stronger, faster, and more vital. Yes, it works. Every post-pubescent male compared to his pre-pubescent self is proof of this fact. Similarly, the difference between natural bodybuilders and those who have made use of testosterone (and other testosterone derivatives) is another undeniable example. A greater amount of testosterone in your system equates to a greater anabolic capacity and a greater potential for physical progression.
So what do you do? You can always go the route of using synthetic, exogenous testosterone. Obviously, the desire to get bigger and stronger is not a prescribed use for testosterone. Taking that into consideration, you’ll have to find someone to sell you a bottle or two. Then you’ve got to get the right syringes and give yourself the injection. For some, the thought of doing this is unnerving. For those who are a little more determined, the fact remains that anabolic steroids (which includes testosterone) are classified as a schedule three drug, which places them, legally, in the same category as narcotics.
Then, there is the reality that well over 99% of illegally sold anabolics are manufactured by an underground lab and not an actual pharmaceutical company. The quality can range from excellent to total bunk to contaminated and downright dangerous. I’m the last guy to tell anyone what to do—I’ve certainly done my share of things over the years knowing full well the risks. However, I would never suggest someone should go find some black market juice and some syringes. Instead, there are some over-the-counter products that are damn good for those looking to increase test levels and achieve some new progress. My favorite of all-time is Animal Test.
Animal Test has been used by thousands of bodybuilders over the years and is regarded as a top quality, comprehensive and highly effective formulation. In order to look, feel, and perform your best, there’s more to the equation than simply boosting testosterone. Animal Test covers all the angles. First on the list is increasing total testosterone. Testosterone is the hormone that we want more of and this is accomplished via Animal Test’s proprietary pro-androgen complex. What so many fail to realize, though, is that the majority of testosterone in your body is bound to a protein called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). You have to keep in mind that your body doesn’t want you to become overly muscular.
Consider this from an evolutionary perspective. For the majority of man’s existence, food was not exactly in abundant supply. Life was pretty damn hard, and the biggest, most muscular person requiring the greatest amount of food and water would be the first to go in times of limited food. So the body uses this binding protein as part of a complex strategy to keep you from becoming too high maintenance. But we want more testosterone and bigger, stronger physiques, and that’s why Animal made the ingenious decision to include an ingredient that decreases SHBG thereby resulting in a greater amount of free, unbound testosterone. Ah yes. Free. Free to do what it does best—go to work driving protein synthesis into high gear.
Another piece to the puzzle is to salvage the increased testosterone. Understand that while males produce testosterone in the testes, there is no organ that produces estrogen. Estrogen in males is the result of testosterone being converted to estrogen via a dirty little enzyme called aromatase. I know, it’s bullshit. Between aromatase and SHBG, it’s like mother nature is determined to ruin it for us! But once again, Animal has you covered by including an ingredient in the formulation that acts to naturally inhibit the aromatase enzyme. Less aromatase activity means less conversion of testosterone to estrogen, and that means you’re not only getting bigger and stronger, but avoiding the unwanted side effects of elevated estrogen. I don’t want extra fat and water retention or man boobs and neither do you.
Not only does Animal Test boost total test, free up bound testosterone, increase free test, and reduce testosterone conversion into estrogen, it also contains an ingredient that has been proven time and again to be highly anabolic. This ingredient, arachidonic acid, has been shown to support the inflammatory cascade associated with the growth process.
While there’s no denying that testosterone is the king of muscle building hormones, you have options when it comes to increasing it. And while I’ll be the last to argue against the muscle-building power of synthetic, pharmaceutical testosterone, going that route is not for everyone. It certainly shouldn’t be the first thing you try. Animal Test serves as a tried and true testosterone-boosting product that will not only increase total testosterone, but also help unlock bound testosterone and reduce the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. The inclusion of arachidonic acid helps to round out the anabolic power of the formula. The product is solid and its track record speaks for itself. Lest we forget, test is best.
