—
Please Note: This is a paid article that is presented for informational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. If you have any health concern, see a licensed healthcare professional in person. This article does not constitute an endorsement or approval of this product or any claim, statement or opinion used in promotion of this product.
Testosterone is one of the most important hormones in men. It is the androgen responsible for characteristics such as high muscle mass, deep voice, and facial and body hair. While it is predominant in males, it is also present in women, but in smaller amounts. At age 20, the body’s testosterone production is at its peak, then it starts to decline at the rate of approximately 1% per year as one continues aging.
According to this website, the declining levels of testosterone may have negative impacts, including reduced muscle mass, low sex drive, and low energy levels. Once you are diagnosed with low T, there are different ways to address the issue. A natural way to do so is through exercise. Check with a physician or certified medical professional before embarking on an exercise regime.
While all types of exercise have an effect on the production of more testosterone in the body, some workouts have a larger impact. If you are looking for effective workouts linked to testosterone increase, the following are the 5 best options to consider.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT is one of the best ways to boost your testosterone levels during your workouts. An individual is required to exercise intensely for short periods with breaks or low-intensity exercises in-between. This helps to enhance muscle mass while helping with weight loss.
Typically, HIIT works by increasing protein synthesis in the body which increases muscle mass. This leads to testosterone increase which also contributes to muscle synthesis. Usually, when there is a significant increment in muscle mass, testosterone also rises.
HIIT can help to better the quality of your sleep, raise the growth hormone levels, increase energy, boost nitric oxide, normalize blood sugar, and enhance insulin sensitivity. These benefits cause an additional increase in testosterone levels. For instance, good quality sleep means that the body reboots, increasing its ability to produce more testosterone.
So the exercises you do create benefits to your body, and those benefits can have a significant positive impact on your testosterone levels.
Bodyweight Squats
Squats are among the few exercises that you can do to trigger testosterone production in the body. When done the right way, they help fasten muscle growth. Usually, most types of squats target to improve the lower part of the body. And the best thing about squats is that you can do them in the comfort of your home.
When compared to other exercises like the leg press, squats aid in the stimulation of both the growth hormone and testosterone. About 6 sets of 10 squats significantly help to increase testosterone production without leaving you extremely tired, as with other exercises. As such, it is not necessarily important to max out whenever working out to increase testosterone. Focusing on volume is far much more effective. Keenness on your form is also important while performing any type of squats.
Weightlifting
When compared to most workouts, weightlifting is one of the best ways of gaining testosterone. The hormone is stimulated by its muscle-boosting benefit, and for the best results, the larger muscle groups are targeted during the lifting. Equally, it is important to strengthen the whole body for better metabolism, which is also linked to a testosterone increase.
Whether it is building lean muscle or improving testosterone levels, weightlifting that focuses on major muscle groups is important. Low reps matched with the maximum weight that the body can handle work great. It forces the body to produce more muscle in order to perform as required.
Adding more reps to the normal weightlifting routine increases testosterone production. A workout partner is a good encouragement to keep you going when exhausted. Additionally, extended periods of rest work well in maximizing lifting strategies.
Resistance Training
As the name suggests, resistance training works your muscles against a weight force. It is also known as weight training and could involve your own body resistance bands, weight machines, or free weights. Evidence has shown both short and long-term testosterone benefits of resistance training.
During a study, a 21.6% increment in testosterone levels was noted after weightlifting for 30 minutes. Another study indicated immediate improvement after working out 3 times a week for a month. For a first-time session, it is important to seek guidance from a trainer to ensure the correct form when weightlifting. This reduces the risks of serious injuries. Also, the muscle gains for women are more temporary when compared to men after doing resistance training.
Sprints
Sprints have shown positive results in boosting testosterone when compared to long non-stop running. This can be incorporated into your workout routine or simply done on its own. An advantage is that it can be done in different places, whether from your home/gym treadmill, the neighborhood, or even your backyard. Other alternatives for non-runners are elliptical trainers and bicycles.
The sprints done should be super short and intense, each ideally up to 15 seconds. For the best results, do 5-10 sprints about 2-3 times every week. Even after recovering from the sprints, testosterone levels remain high.
Winding Up
Low T is bad for your health and general well-being. If you start showing signs and symptoms of low testosterone, the above exercises are an effective way of increasing their levels. Other ways of benefiting include burning calories, building strength, and getting rid of extra body fat. If you want to achieve significant testosterone increment, then you will need to exercise regularly. Remember to check with your doctor first.
Important factors such as your age, weight, fitness level, and the time of working out contribute to the amount of testosterone you gain during your exercises. In addition to working out, it is equally important to complement it with the right food choices. Whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins are great options that help to fuel the exercises.
Before you get used to a new workout routine, it is going to take a while. Your body might recover slowly since it is not used to the strain. While most of the workouts are intense, slow as you scale up should work just perfectly. This is to allow time for the body to adjust. Most importantly, consistency is important as well as resilience, for positive results in the end.
—
This content is brought to you by Sean Dudayev
iStockPhoto
The post 5 Workouts to Boost Your Testosterone appeared first on The Good Men Project.
Original Article