Boosting Testosterone Levels With Exercise
Low testosterone is a nasty disorder that can have a negative effect on your mood, energy levels, sex drive and more. However, by choosing to make positive lifestyle choices, you can boost your testosterone levels naturally and avoid all these negative effects. In this article I’m going to be looking at how exercise affects testosterone levels and listing some of the best exercises for boosting testosterone.
How Does Exercise Affect Testosterone?
Exercise has a strong, positive influence on your testosterone levels. Too much or too little exercise can cause low testosterone but just the right amount and type can boost your testosterone levels by stimulating the pituitary gland (which regulates testosterone levels in the body) and the testes (which produce testosterone). The tips below discuss how to formulate an effective, testosterone boosting workout plan:
1) Limit Your Workouts To 1 Hour:This article highlights a number of studies that have looked at the relationship between workout duration and testosterone levels. The studies suggest that exercising for up to an hour can boost your testosterone levels by as much as 28%. However, after an hour, exercise starts to have a negative effect on testosterone and reduces the amount of this hormone in your blood.
2) Workout At Maximum Intensity:This study from the British Medical Journal in 1973 looked at the effect of exercise on blood levels of testosterone and found that exercising at maximum intensity led to the largest increase in testosterone levels.
3) Lift Heavy Weights:This study published in the 2004 Canadian Journal Of Applied Psychology looked at the effect of heavy resistance training on hormone levels and found that lifting heavy weights caused a significant increase in testosterone levels.
4) Focus On Compound Exercises:This book released by Fleck & Kramer in 2004 found that exercises which involved large muscle groups led to the greatest increases in testosterone. This means that if you want to maximize your testosterone levels, multi-muscle compound exercises are much more effective than single muscle isolation exercises.
What Are The Best Exercises For Boosting Testosterone?
As you can see from the studies above, relatively short, intense workouts that involve heavy, compound movements are the best type of workouts for boosting your testosterone levels. If you’re familiar with the gym, you should be able to think of plenty of exercises that match these criteria. However, if you’re new to the gym or want some ideas to get you started, give the four exercises listed below a try:
1) Barbell Chest Press:The barbell chest press isa classic muscle building exercise that works your chest, triceps and shoulders. To perform it, find a bench and a barbell. Lay the bench out flat and then load the barbell up with a weight that allows you to perform around six repetitions. If you’ve never done barbell chest presses before, start off with half your bodyweight and increase or decrease the weight as necessary.
Once the barbell is loaded with weight, lie down on the bench with your knees bent and your head underneath the barbell. Place your hands on the barbell just over a shoulder width apart, then slowly lift the barbell off the rack and bring it forward slightly, so that it is parallel to your chest. Slowly lower the barbell down until it touches your chest, keeping your wrists straight at all times. Once the barbell touches your chest, slowly lower it back up to the starting position. Repeat for as many repetitions as you can manage and then slowly place the barbell back on the rack. If you manage more than eight repetitions, increase the amount of weight on the barbell. For maximum results, do three or four sets of barbell chest presses.
2) Barbell Shoulder Press:The barbell shoulder pressis a fantastic exercise for your shoulders, arms and upper back. To perform it, find a bench and a barbell. Fold the bench into an upright seated position and then load the barbell up with a weight that allows you to perform around six repetitions. If you’ve never done barbell shoulder presses before, start off with half your bodyweight and increase or decrease the weight as necessary.
Once the barbell is loaded, grab hold of it with your palms facing the floor and hold it just above your knees. Sit down on the bench, ensuring that your back is straight and slowly curl the barbell upwards towards your chin, until it reaches shoulder height. Once the barbell is at shoulder height, slowly press it towards the ceiling and stop just before your arms lock out. Then slowly lower the barbell back down to shoulder height. Repeat for as many repetitions as you can manage and then slowly place the barbell on the floor in front of you. If you manage more than eight repetitions, increase the amount of weight on the barbell. For maximum results, do three or four sets of barbell shoulder presses.
3) Barbell Squats:The barbell squats is an excellent full body exercise that strengthens your legs and core. To perform it, find a squat rack and a barbell. Place the barbell in the squat rack at just below shoulder height and then load it up with enough weight to allow you to perform around six repetitions. If you’ve never done barbell squats before, start off with half your bodyweight and increase or decrease the weight as necessary.
Once the barbell is loaded, stand underneath it and rest the top of your shoulders against the bar with your knees slightly bent. Slowly stand up straight, lift the barbell off the squat rack and take one step back. Once you are in position, stand with your feet about a hip width apart and then slowly bend your knees until they’re at a 90 degree angle. Then slowly extend your knees, stand up straight and return to the starting position. Repeat for as many repetitions as you can manage and then slowly place the barbell back in its original position on the squat rack. If you manage more than eight repetitions, increase the amount of weight on the barbell. For maximum results, do three or four sets of barbell squats.
4) Cardio Sprint Intervals: While heavy compound movements are the most effective type of exercise for boosting testosterone, you shouldn’t neglect cardiovascular exercise completely. Incorporating some cardio into your workout routine can help you burn fat, sleep better, protect you from numerous diseases and more. Plus, if you perform your cardio at maximum intensity, it can still stimulate testosterone production.
To maximize the intensity of your cardio workouts, try cardio sprint intervals. This simply involves choosing your favorite cardiovascular exercise and then exercising at the maximum pace you can manage for 20 seconds. After the first 20 seconds, slow the pace down for the next 20 seconds and catch your breath. Then continue alternating between 20 seconds at maximum pace and 20 seconds at a slow pace. Doing your cardio in this way is a lot more challenging than medium paced cardio, burns a lot more calories and due to the added intensity, stimulates the production of testosterone.
Summary
If you’re currently suffering from low testosterone and haven’t considered exercise as a solution, give it a try. It’s one of the best natural treatments there is and when combined with the right diet, you can significantly boost your testosterone levels and make low testosterone a thing of the past.
Recommended for Testosterone Products
