Optimising Testosterone Naturally as a Midlife Dad | My 5-Pillar System | Part 1 of 5

Pillar 1: Foundation - Measure, Mindset, Move Forward

Aug 04, 2025

Welcome to issue #004 of the MIDLIFE PRIME. Each week, I send one empowering essay to help you build muscle, optimise healthspan and take action.

Maybe your current thinking is like what mine was… skeptical of whether it's actually possible to optimise testosterone naturally, at our age… without turning our life upside down?

I get it, I thought the same. But 5 months ago I decided to stop making stuff up, and start measuring, and so I’m sharing my journey, what’s working for me, what’s not and how I’m currently optimising my T levels naturally in a 5 part series.

Here's part one…

What I'm Optimising

First I want to provide a disclaimer. I am not a medical professional, I am simply sharing my own personal learnings and experiences. We humans are incredibly complex beings and there are so many varying environmental and lifestyle factors, so what works for one, may not work for another. So, now that’s out the way…

I’m not just optimising total testosterone, but the male hormonal picture that affects the level and availability of testosterone levels (in the simplest way).

I love to keep things simple (without breaking the bank) and so I've been testing my own T levels for 5 months now, via a simple male hormone profile testing kit from Amazon.

These are finger prick blood sample tests and they provide useful commentary of normal ranges and results. This test measures:

Total Testosterone

I think of total testosterone as my bank account balance - it tells me how much testosterone is floating around in my blood, but not how much I can actually spend.

This is the number many people focus on because it's easy to measure and sounds impressive when it's "normal" typically 8.64 to 30 nmol/L (249 to 866 ng/dL).

But I could have a total T of 30 and feel like absolute rubbish because most of it is locked up and unavailable. Total T is my starting point, not my finish line.

Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)

SHBG is the hormonal equivalent of a mate who borrows my tools and never returns them. It's a protein that binds to testosterone and essentially takes it out of action - my body can't use testosterone that's stuck to SHBG.

When SHBG is high (often due to age, stress, or metabolic issues), the less available testosterone I can actually use for building muscle, energy and focus.

Free Testosterone

This is the testosterone that's actually doing the work - like the cash in my wallet rather than the number in my bank account.

Free testosterone (typical normal levels 0.17 to 0.66 nnmol/L or 4.9 to 19 ng/dL) is what's available to bind to receptors and make me feel strong, energetic, and mentally sharp.

This is why I can have a total T of 20 nnmol/L and feel amazing if my free T is optimised, while another guy with 30 nnmol/L total T feels terrible because his is bound up.

Free Androgen Index (FAI)

FAI is testosterone's efficiency ratio - it's calculated by dividing my total testosterone by my SHBG and multiplying by 100.

I think of it as my testosterone's "bang for buck" score. A normal FAI (typically 25–113%) means your testosterone is working efficiently despite what your total number says.

It's basically asking "How much of my testosterone is actually available for use?"

There are other elements that certain test provide that impact T levels, but these work for me (they’re also the main ones provided by the test kit I use).

What I'm Learning

My feelings lie, but data doesn't.

The testing revelation:

My total testosterone number is almost meaningless on its own. What matters is free testosterone, SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin), and the ratio between them.

I learned this the hard way when I thought things were all going smoothly but my total T of 36 was actually performing like 20 because my SHBG was sky-high (which I’ll discuss in my next post, part 2).

The timing insight:

Most men test randomly and get confused by fluctuating results. Testosterone peaks in the morning and varies by season.

I test consistently - same time, same conditions - in the morning between 7am and 10am.

The mindset shift:

This isn't about returning to my 25-year-old self. It's about optimising my 46-year-old self and beyond.

When I stopped trying to recapture my youth and started maximising my current potential, everything changed.

Ways I'm Implementing

Testing schedule

I have been testing for a hormone panel every month (includes Total T, Free T, SHBG, FAI). Other tests which I have previously done also provide LH, FSH, Estradiol etc which can be useful.

Now that I have the results I want, I plan to test every quarter or every 6 months.

Daily tracking (sometime every other day)

I track my energy, strength, mood, sleep quality and workout performance using a simple 1-10 scale. I also note any activities that drain vs restore me.

A simple spreadsheet works for me but could also use a journal, app, whatever. The key is consistent data that shows patterns over time.

The simple practice of recording helps motivate me and helps build a better understanding of myself.

Mindset shift reminders

Stop chasing my 25-year-old self - I had energy then but no wisdom. Now I have wisdom - time to add back the energy.
Leverage my current advantages - quality food, knowledge, equipment, and recovery. I now understand delayed gratification and what works for my body.
Embrace peak performance for my age - “What's the strongest I can be at 46?” not “How do I bench like I'm 22?"
Reframe my reference points - I compare myself to other 46-year-old fathers, not my past self or 30-year-old influencers. That's my real benchmark.
Focus on quality over quantity - I train 3/4 days with good form instead of 5/6 days with sloppy technique. Precision beats frequency.
Value sustainability - I choose systems that work for decades over diets that work for months. Consistency is my advantage.
Accept my new recovery reality - I can't bounce back like I used to, but I make better decisions that support rather than sabotage.
Enhanced focus on function - I chase the function I want decades ahead, not the physique from decades past. That's real optimisation.
Celebrate my midlife victories - Sleeping through the night is a victory. Feeling strong and capable in my own skin matters more than anything.

My 80/20 Insight

Consistent morning measurement habit.

Every morning, I spend 3 minutes rating my energy, strength, mood, sleep quality and workout performance using a simple 1-10 scale. It takes 3 minutes (less time than doom-scrolling social media) and it reveals true patterns that tests can miss.

It also does more for my motivation than any Spotify gym mix could ever do, and helps build a better relationship and awareness of myself.

Until Next Time

Remember: You can't optimise what you don't measure, and you can't measure what you don't track consistently. With the right mindset, welcome to the foundation.

Next week: Pillar 2: Fuel - The 80/20 Nutrition Protocol - The foods that actually build testosterone (and the ones secretly destroying it).

What's your biggest tracking challenge? Hit reply or leave a comment👇