Instagram story viewer> @zachdancel> Posts

Zach Dancel | Testosterone & Longevity

@zachdancel

2.6K

followers

946

following

👑 Men 30+: train harder, live longer
🏆 Dad | Cofounder & COO, Nava | 13 years in longevity
🔥 DM "PILLARS" for my training plan
👇 Book your labs

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

10 physical tests every man should be able to pass.

Most can’t pass half.

1. Touch your toes flat footed.

2. Hold a 2 minute plank. Straight line, no sagging.

3. 50 straight push ups. Chest touches the ground or it doesn’t count.

4. Bench 1x bodyweight. One rep, full range.

5. Squat 1.5x bodyweight. Ass to grass. One rep.

6. Trap bar deadlift 2x bodyweight. One rep.

7. 10 strict pull ups. No kipping, no swinging.

8. Carry your bodyweight 50m. Farmers walk, no setting the weight down.

9. Sub 7 mile. Start to finish, no breaks. Engine test.

10. Sprint 100m sub 15 seconds. Tells you if you have any fast twitch left.

Train like an athlete, not a gym bro.

A gym bro trains what he looks at in the mirror. An athlete trains what his body has to do. Pull, push, carry, sprint, bend, brace. The body was built to perform, and performance is what keeps it alive.

That is why athletes hold on to capacity longer. They never let one quality rot while another gets all the attention.

Every test here maps to a pillar. Strength, zone 2, HIIT, function and mobility, core and balance.

Test yourself this week. Whatever you fail is your training plan.

Health is a daily choice. by @zachdancel

34

3

a month ago

10 things that changed since I started TRT, and why each matters for how long you live.

1. It’s easier to build muscle. Testosterone amplifies the signal your muscles get from training. Muscle is one of the strongest predictors of a long, independent life.

2. Belly fat melts off. Testosterone shifts your body away from storing fat around your organs, the fat that drives inflammation and heart disease.

3. I recover faster. Testosterone speeds muscle repair. Faster recovery means more training and more strong years.

4. My energy lasts all day. Testosterone drives red blood cell production, so more oxygen reaches your muscles and brain.

5. My drive is higher than ever. Testosterone fuels the brain’s motivation circuits. Purpose is linked to a longer life.

6. The elephant in the room. Morning wood still going strong. It takes healthy hormones, nerves, and blood vessels working together. Those same blood vessels feed your heart and brain, so strong erections are one of the clearest signs of vitality a man has.

7. I’m more present at home. Low T often shows up as a short fuse. Strong relationships are one of the best predictors of healthy aging.

8. I don’t miss training days. Recovery plus drive turns consistency into a habit.

9. I’m constantly monitoring my levels. The goal isn’t normal. It’s optimal, with bloodwork every few months to keep every safety marker in check.

10. I’m training for my 100 year old self. I’m not just adding years, I’m adding strong ones.

Here’s where I stand. If your levels are low and or you feel it, it makes no sense to keep suffering. Trying to do it “natural”. Calling it “cheating”. Calling it “dangerous”. That’s bullshit. Meanwhile you’re losing muscle, drive, and years you don’t get back.

You can’t train, eat, or sleep your way out of a true deficiency. Lifting builds the machine. Hormones let it run. For men who are truly low, nothing moves the needle more.

Is there a right way to do it? Absolutely. Real labs. Real monitoring. A plan that protects fertility if you want kids. Be picky about who you work with.

Get your labs. Then decide.

Health is a daily choice. by @zachdancel

146

29

21 days ago

Keep stacking days. 🥞

Consistency isn’t sexy, it’s boring as hell. But it is undefeated. 🐺

#leadership #legacy #longevity #btb #highT by @zachdancel

206

4

4 months ago

🤷🏻‍♂️ 😂 But on a serious note…

Vitamins, creatine, training, no sugar, 7 hours of sleep and eliminated alcohol. Still didn’t move the needle like TRT and peptides did.

After 13 years in longevity medicine, here’s the truth: the basics matter, they are without a doubt a non negotiable. But if your testosterone is in the shitter, no supplement stack or test booster on earth will save you. Low testosterone is a serious health and longevity problem.

Get your labs done, find out where you actually stand, and fix the root cause. And it is bigger than energy or libido. In a meta analysis of over 24,000 men, low testosterone was associated with a higher risk of all cause mortality.

Send this to the guy still hoping a testosterone booster fixes his T. by @zachdancel

184

4

10 hours ago

20 years in 10 seconds. Save and share! 🐺 💪🏼

Here’s the why behind the list.

1. Compound lifts beat machines. Squat, hinge, press, pull, carry. They build the strength you use in real life.

2. Progressive overload is a must. Add a rep or a little weight when your last set moves clean.

3. You don’t need to go to failure. Stop 1 to 3 reps short. You recover faster and stack more sessions.

4. Warm up before every session. Mobility keeps you moving well at 80 and lifting better today.

5. 1g of protein per lb of goal body weight. Lifting creates the demand. Protein supplies the building blocks.

6. Sleep is just as important as your training. Lifting is the signal. Sleep is where you rebuild.

7. The program isn’t the problem. Consistency is.

8. Rest days are training days. Walk, stretch, zone 2.

9. The man who never quits always wins.

And always remember, health is a daily choice. by @zachdancel

25

0

a day ago

More muscle and less fat, without the scale moving. That’s what TRT looks like in the research.

First, the number. Your urologist will only call you low, and treat you, under 300 ng/dL. That’s the floor, not the goal. I go off the newer data: optimal is 600 to 1,200. If you’re suboptimal, you should at least know your options.

What the research shows:

Researchers pooled 29 studies of 1,083 men, average age 64. Compared to placebo, the men on testosterone gained about 3.5 lb of lean mass and lost about 3.5 lb of fat. Their weight on the scale barely moved.

In a 2 year trial of 1,007 men aged 50 to 74, everyone followed the same diet and exercise plan. The testosterone group lost about 10 lb of fat and gained about 1 lb of muscle. The placebo group lost about 4 lb of fat and lost about 3 lb of muscle.

When to expect it: fat, muscle, and strength start changing around 12 to 16 weeks. The best results happen at 6 to 12 months of being consistent. Keep stacking days.

My starting level was 270. On TRT, muscle comes easier, my belly fat came down, I recover faster, and I don’t miss training days.

The Nava TRT protocol:
100 to 200 mg a week, split into 2 injections.
Comprehensive labs every 4 months.
A visit with your provider every 4 months.

Your exact dose comes from your labs and your provider.

TRT makes the work pay off. It doesn’t do the work.

Send this to a guy who’s been putting off his labs.

And always remember, health is a daily choice.

#testosterone #TRT #musclegain #fatloss #menover35 by @zachdancel

20

0

2 days ago

Started TRT at a total testosterone of 270. It’s been ruining my life ever since.

Here’s the damage so far.

It ruined my excuses.

“I’m just tired” doesn’t work anymore. Energy holds all day.

It ruined my belly fat. Didn’t even ask.

It ruined my sore week after leg day.

Recovery is fast enough now that I stopped missing sessions.

It ruined my couch time.

I’m more present at home. More time on the floor with my kids.

It ruined “I’m just getting older.”

Turns out a lot of what I blamed on age was a number on a lab sheet.

Now the truth:

TRT didn’t lift a single weight for me.

Didn’t cook a meal.

Didn’t put me to bed on time.

Lifting builds the machine.

Hormones let it run.

You still have to show up and build it.

And none of it works without monitoring.

TRT isn’t cheating. But if you are going to do it, do@it right or not at all.

What I check every 4 months:
Total T
Free T
SHBG
Estradiol
CBC with hematocrit
PSA
Full thyroid

If you’ve got low testosterone symptoms, start with a testosterone test and a provider with real hormone experience.

And always remember, health is a daily choice. But also…

It takes what it takes.

#trt #testosterone #lowtestosterone #menshealth #longevity by @zachdancel

107

24

2 days ago

I think TRT is one of the most powerful longevity tools for men with low T.

The lifespan studies aren’t in. I’m not waiting. Traditional medicine and the government agencies move to slow to wait.

Here’s why.

Low T makes everything harder. Training. Mood. Recovery. Showing up.

Not saying it’s the only thing that matters. But will then make the other things easier to implement.

For me: easier to build muscle. Belly fat down. Battery on 100%. Showing up to the gym. And most importantly showing up at home.

Strength is a vital sign.

TRT doesn’t do the work for you. But I will say it makes the work possible.

But only if you do it right. Here’s what nobody tells you before you start.

1. Your labs matter more than your dose. Total and free testosterone tell you where you are. Your symptoms tell you if it is working.

2. Estradiol rises with testosterone. Some of your testosterone converts to estradiol. Too low or too high and you will feel it. And yes, men need it. You and your provider need to track it.

3. Hematocrit can climb. Testosterone drives red blood cell production. Too high and your blood gets thick. Check it on every panel.

4. It can shut down sperm production. The testosterone you take tells your body to stop making its own because it thinks it’s getting enough once levels are restored, and that includes sperm. If you want more kids, talk about fertility before you start. There’s way to prevent this.

5. Monitored TRT is medicine. Unmonitored TRT is reckless. 25% of men on TRT never got tested which I think is jabroni business.

I check my labs every 4 months. Total T, free T, SHBG, estradiol, CBC with hematocrit, PSA, and a full thyroid panel.

Not because something is wrong. Because that is the standard I hold to live the healthiest longest life possible. Main gain my quality of life so I can be here to enjoy it with my family.

Send this to a man thinking about starting.

And always remember, health is a daily choice.

#TRT #testosterone #lowtestosterone #menshealth #longevity by @zachdancel

20

8

3 days ago

Become the CEO of your own health.

Most people treat their health like a company they inherited and never run. They hand it to someone else and hope for the best.

A CEO doesn’t operate that way. A CEO knows the numbers. Asks the hard questions. Owns the outcome.

Here’s the reality. A standard physical usually checks a basic panel. Free testosterone, ApoB and fasting insulin often never make the list. If you never see the data, you can’t make the call.

Low energy at 40 is not just getting older. Poor sleep is not just stress. Hot flashes and night sweats are not something you just live with. Those are signals. Somebody has to read them. That somebody is you.

Taking 100% ownership looks like this.

Know your numbers. Get a full workup and read it yourself.

Track how you actually feel. Energy, sleep, drive, recovery.

Ask why. If an answer doesn’t make sense, keep asking.

Build your board. Find providers who will explore it with you, not dismiss you.

Execute daily. Training, sleep, food and stress are decisions you make every single day.

Your doctor is an advisor. Your coach is an advisor. You are the CEO.

Where you are today is your responsibility. Where you’re going is too.

Health is a daily choice.

#LongevityUnfiltered #HealthOwnership #HormoneHealth #Longevity #Testosterone by @zachdancel

12

0

4 days ago

Fellas, stop falling for the medical dogma that TRT increases risk of heart attack or stroke. Stop falling for the misinformation. Let me break it down for you.

In 2015 the FDA warned that TRT might cause heart attacks. In 2025 it pulled the heart risk language from the boxed warning.

TRAVERSE was built to answer one question. Does testosterone raise heart risk?

5,246 men. Ages 45 to 80.

Two fasting testosterone levels under 300 ng/dL, plus symptoms.

Every one had heart disease or high heart risk.
Half got testosterone. Half got placebo.

Heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death:

7.0% on testosterone v. 7.3% on placebo

In June 2026, HHS proposed three more label changes:

Remove the limit on treating age related low T

Limit the prostate cancer contraindication to metastatic disease

Revise the warning that TRT may worsen BPH symptoms

Low T is linked to a higher risk of death.

Treating it didn’t raise heart risk, even in high risk men.
It improved energy, mood, and sex drive, and corrected anemia.

In a 2 year trial, men on testosterone lost more fat and gained more muscle than placebo.

Low testosterone symptoms are easy to blame on age. Low drive. Belly fat. Slow recovery. Flat energy.

What I test every 4 months:
Total T
Free T
SHBG
Estradiol
CBC with hematocrit
PSA
Full thyroid

Testosterone isn’t a vanity hormone. It’s a longevity hormone. Test it. Treat it if you need to. Monitor it.

Follow @zachdancel for the data on TRT, training, and longevity. No hype.

And always remember, health is a daily choice.

#TRT #testosterone #lowtestosterone #longevity menshealth by @zachdancel

14

2

4 days ago

Every excuse on these slides is a reason to start, so what are you waiting for?

Same guy. 4 years apart.

It’s hard. It’s just pain.
It’s slow. Slow is what lasts.
It’s every day. It’s the standard.
It’s raining. Anyone can train when it’s nice out.
It’s boring. Boring is what consistency feels like.
Nobody else is doing it. That’s what we are after.

Anyone can show up when it’s easy and things are going your way.

The real ones show up when everything inside them says to quit.

I promise the excuses never go away. You just stop asking them for permission.

Send this to the friend with all the excuses.

🐺

#fitdad #discipline #transformation #fitover30 #mensfitness by @zachdancel

120

14

5 days ago

Everyone asks what’s in the vial or what’s my stack. Nobody asks what time my alarm goes off.

Yes, I’m on TRT. Yes, I take peptides.

Here’s what the vial doesn’t do:

Set the 5am alarm.
Strength train 4 days a week.
Run the HIIT and zone 2 work.
Dial in the diet.
Show up when I don’t feel like it.

TRT helps make the work pay off. But not once did it do the work for me.

Hard to kill isn’t a slogan. It’s a promise to those love and to yourself.

At the end of it all, it takes what it takes.

🐺

#trt #peptides #discipline #fatherhood #mensfitness by @zachdancel

795

37

6 days ago