Testosterone can make all the difference at the gym and in the bedroom. The problem is: as men approach their 30s, most experience a decrease in testosterone production, forcing them to visit their GP for a total testosterone level check. Before going down this path, one way men may boost testosterone levels is to maintain muscle mass.

To do this, there are two words to remember: anabolic and catabolic. These are key factors that determine whether the body can increase its testosterone levels or whether they diminish with age. 

Being anabolic is the key. This means the body is building and repairing muscle and looking after vital organs. On the other hand, if the body is in catabolic state, the metabolism slows down, and the body begins to eat away at that the hard-earned muscle and increases the ageing process.

There are many reasons why dumbbells are superior to weight machines: you’ll use more muscles, improve joint stability and work both sides of your body equally. Plus, they are cheaper and portable!

It may sound like odd advice to give postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, but new research shows that weight-bearing exercises can help support strong bones.

The researchers looked at 43 studies which focused on the effect of exercising on bone health. The studies covered 4,320 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

They found different exercises could target a specific bone that was weak. Exercising using dumbbells, or in a way that body weight pulls against the bones, stops the loss.

Bones are at their strongest when women are in their twenties, and generally retain this strength until 50 years. At this age bones start to lose essential minerals like calcium more quickly than the body can replace them, which makes the bones less dense, and therefore weak.

The addition of a weight plate turns these tried and tested moves into an intense workout.

Tone your back with these super exercises to stretch your spine and strengthen your shoulders.

Free weights aren't the product of an over-generous sports shop owner. They are weights, usually dumbbells or barbells, that are not attached to any machines and, when lifted, rely solely on the person lifting them for their stability. They allow for more natural movements, they require more muscles to work and they allow for far more variety than a single-plane machine weight. Yes, it's slightly old-school, but there is no better form of weight training.