There is big business in increasing men’s testosterone these days. Everything from TRT injections, creams, and herbal supplements. We are going to show you some simple ways to possibly increase your testosterone naturally with the right exercises.
You can increase testosterone with most exercises, but there are some that work better than others and you get more bang for your buck!
- Sprints
- Moderate to heavy lifts
- Focus on longer rest periods
- Forced Reps
- Leg exercises
Exercises needed to Increase Testosterone
Sprinting
Sprinting is a good way to raise your testosterone, but the opposite can be said for doing too much cardio. Studies show that doing sprints can dramatically increase testosterone levels.
The participants did a very short 6-second all-out sprint and showed that their testosterone remained elevated even after they had recovered from the exercise.
This is kind of like a HIIT type of cardio training. I usually do my cardio after my workouts or on an off day. You don’t want to do cardio before weight training because it can fatigue you beforehand if you do too much. Here is a good article on when you should stretch for workouts.
You can do them on a treadmill, elliptical or outside. I prefer outside when it’s warmer myself because I live in the mid-west. Try to do 7-10 all-out sprints up to 15 seconds each time and then walk to recover for the remaining time ranging from 2-4 times the time that you sprinted for.
Workout with Heavy Weight
There are many different ways to lift weights but ultimately most studies show that it’s going to take some moderate-heavy weight lifting to have a physiological effect on your hormones.
Compound exercises are best because you work more than one muscle group at a time and are also the most beneficial for increasing testosterone. Here is a list of compound exercises that are best.
It’s best to train your muscles to failure rather than be with lightweight and high reps or heavy weight and low reps. Although, it’s true that doing heavier weight will increase your strength along with adding more muscle in return.
As far as intensity goes you should focus on keeping near-perfect form while feeling resistance. NEVER SACRIFICE YOUR FORM FOR ADDING MORE WEIGHT!!!
- Warm-up
- 4×8 Deadlifts combined with 4×8 pull-ups
- 4×8 Bench press combined with 4×8 Squats
- 4-6 sets max of 10-second sprints
- Slow walking cool down
If you are a newbie to weight lifting doing compound exercises can seem like too much to start with. In this case, you can simulate these movements with free wight (dumbells) or by training with machines.
You will see slower results with machines but practice your form and work your way up to dumbells and then to barbells.
Rest periods
Something I’m not the best at or does it need to be exact every time you workout. With that being said science has shown us that the optimal rest periods are around 120 seconds between each set for increasing testosterone.
On the flip side, HIIT workouts or shorter rest periods can increase HGH Human Growth Hormone. It can seem like a long time to be resting for 2-3 minutes, so do what works best for you. If you are looking to increase testosterone through exercise, rest is important but not the end of the world if you are short on time it’s okay to shorten rest periods.
While it can be boring I try to do some dynamic stretching to help pass the time. There have been some negative thoughts towards static stretching while lifting because you can make your ligaments and muscles to flexible and can affect strength training. If you are really short on time you can work on opposite muscles and only rest for 30-60 seconds.
Example: would be to work in between sets on different muscle groups such as going from squats to bench press so you can allow certain muscle groups time to recover.
Forcing your Reps
This is something I don’t typically do, but during my research, I stumbled across it and it has some evidence to back it up. Forced reps are done by doing as many reps as you can and having a spotter help out with reps anywhere from 2-5 as you begin to fatigue and can’t do anymore.
There is evidence that shows that this type of training with a spotter and forcing your reps can help increase testosterone. It seems that it’s best to use compound movements and try to do 5-6 while having a spotter assist with the remaining 2-5 reps.
It’s not recommended to do this on every set but to do it on your last set for that muscle group.
Leg Exercises for increasing Testosterone
Never skip leg day is important and not just for having skinny chicken legs. The proof is in the pudding as “they” say, there was a study done with one group training just arms and the other trained legs and arms.
It was a dramatic difference in the group who added legs had an increase in testosterone levels. I myself am not a fan of doing legs because I’m 6″2, but with age comes wisdom and I just feel better when I do. I don’t always barbell squat but will substitute with a leg press or kettlebell squats.
Leg exercises are the most beneficial for increasing testosterone as well as compound movements.
Resistance Training to Build Muscle
The name of the game to build muscle or increase testosterone as we age, we should be increasing either the volume, repetitions and load. If we are not increasing one of these variables for each workout we’re not challenging our bodies to grow muscle.
I worked out for many years and have left it in an early happy way but doing the same exercises and the same sets and weights without much change. What I like best and what has worked for me is increasing the volume for my workouts.
Here are the number of sets for the minimum effective volume all the way up to the maximum amount. The ides is to start with 10 reps per muscle group and add a set each week until you get to the top number of sets.
Between week 4-6 is usually when you can begin to experience overtraining or fatigue. This is why a cookie-cutter program approach will not work for most. Unless you take a week between week 4-6 as a light weigh almost kind of a rest week.
This is done by just doing two reps per muscle group at 60-70 max weight. Basically, not too heavy where you are struggling or too light that it feels like a warm-up. This will help you to recover while helping your muscles grow as well.
- Chest: 10-15
- Back: 10-18
- Biceps: 10-18
- Triceps: 10-14
- Legs 10-18
- Abs: unlimited
Why compound exercises should be your staple
I used to read in magazines and online when I was younger all about bodybuilding isolation exercises, curls etc.. about how it would make you gain muscle. Pshhh….While it may have it’s place a natural weight lifter will not see many gains from that kind of a routine.
It wasn’t until later in life Things like compound exercises like deadlifts, Squats, Barbell row and press started to become the main pillars of my programs. Barbell bench, of course, I wasn’t including it because Monday’s are National bench press day in the gyms.
Once I started to use these exercises I started to see more results as a natural weight lifter. Compound movements are great because you are working more than one muscle group at a time. As I like to say getting the most bang for your buck.
Compound Exercises
- Bench Press
- Squat
- Deadlift(The most important exercise if I had to pick one)
- Barbell Row
- Barbell overhead press
The exercises above should be your staple. It’s not all doom and gloom as we age as once thought. Gaining muscle is not just vanity or an extreme thing. It’s vital for our health and body composition. Gaining muscle can be done at virtually any age with the right steps and these should help.
For more advanced lifters who are getting bored or not seeing the results, they would like should try a push/pull/legs workout. it looks like this.
Here is an example of a good workout program for more advanced lifters.
Push
- Standing Barbell Overhead Press 3x 6-8 reps
- Incline Dumbell Press 3x 6-8 reps
- Dips (weighted if normal dips are too easy) 3x 6-8 reps
- Reverse skull crushers 3x 6-8 reps
- Cable Crossovers 3 x 6-8 reps
- Lateral cable raises 3x 6-8 reps
Pull
- Romanian Deadlift 3x 6-8 reps
- Barbell row 3x 6-8 reps
- Pull-ups 3x 6-8 reps
- Barbell curls 3x 6-8 reps
- Cable face pulls 3x 6-8 reps
- Dumbell shrugs 3x 6-8 reps
Legs
- Squat 3 x 6-8 reps
- Leg Press 3 x 6-8 reps
- Leg extensions 3 x 6-8 reps
- Lying Leg curls 3 x 6-8 reps
- Seated calf raises 3 x 6-8 reps
- Lunges(with dumbells when body weight becomes easy) 3 x 10-12 reps
Foods can affect your Testosterone levels
Food that can boost Testosterone
- Beef
- Tuna
- Oysters
- Shellfish
- Eggs
- Low-Fat milk with Vitamin D
- Beans
Food that may Lower Testosterone
- Soy Products
- Alcohol
- Certain Fats
- Bread
- Desserts and Sweets
- Some Fats
While a healthy diet and exercise can have a positive effect on your overall T levels, it may not work for everyone. It’s best to always get a blood test and work with your doctor.
Avoid chronic cardio
Cardio is good for your health but too much cardio is not. Once recommended to do as much cardio as you can for heart health is not what we are coming to find out is best for our health.
It’s pretty clear if you were to look at a sprinter and a marathon runner and try to decide who has the most testosterone. Cardio exercises such as HIIT type training can help increase testosterone and HGH levels. Doing too much cardio can actually lower testosterone.
If you are looking to raise your testosterone naturally it’s best to focus on sprinting. Not only will high amounts of cardio lower your T levels but it will also raise your cortisol levels (stress hormones.) It simply can put too much stress on your body and can make recovering more difficult, especially on top of resistance training.
As mentioned earlier, one study shows that just by simply doing an all-out sprint for 6 seconds with high intensity. They even come to find out that these people who did this type of cardio had elevated levels of testosterone even after they recovered.
Avoiding plastics
Something that isn’t really talked about but has an effect on our overall testosterone is plastic. it is everywhere restore food in it, we drink out of it, and we just plain and simple are in contact with plastic way too much. What is the problem with plastic is it has a negative effect on your overall health and can lower your testosterone and fertility levels.
The endocrine system can be disrupted if you are exposed to too much plastic. this works by plastic raising your estrogen levels which is bad because we want our testosterone levels to be raised not are estrogen levels. Estrogen levels are a female hormone to where testosterone is the male hormone.
Another name for these estrogen type chemicals is also known as xenoestrogens. these xenoestrogens can be mainly found in things such as metal food cans, detergent, toys, pesticides, preservatives, Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, and Plastics.
Other than the negative effects they can have on lowering testosterone, they can also cause many other serious health problems.
Try to avoid these substances as much as possible.
BPA astounding Plastics and has been known to greatly lower testosterone and can cause erectile dysfunction.
BPS has been marketed as a less dangerous substitute for BPA and can be found in most receipts, Plastics but also has the same negative effects as BPA does.
Phthalates are also found in Plastics in cosmetics. typically man having high phthalates in their urine can I have lower testosterone levels.
Parabens are commonly found in things such as sun lotions, moisturizers, shampoos, toothpaste and other cosmetics as a preservative. It also functions as a xenoestrogen in their body by elevating estrogen levels in men and women.
These are just some more common chemicals that can lower your testosterone and affect your health.
Here are some tips to avoid these substances that can lower your testosterone levels and cause other health issues as well.
Starting with switching your cups to steel or glass, purchase a good tap filter that cleans out all of these chemical disruptors such as reverse osmosis and activated charcoal filters.
Focus on natural and organic for cosmetics. This one should go without saying but limiting fast food as much as possible while trying to eat organic.
Try to also cut down the time that you are handling paper receipts or likewise paper.
Be cautious with some of the laundry detergents to use as they can also have these chemicals and opt for a more natural brand, there are plenty out there.
Final thoughts
The most effective weight training for middle-aged men or just men, in general, is compound exercises with sprints. Lower body exercises seem to boost testosterone the most such as barbell squats.
Also, lifting with a heavy intensity is also very important and will add more muscle and strength. Followed by longer rest periods in between, but don’t work out too long as 45-60 minutes should be plenty because working out too much can have a negative effect by raising your cortisol levels.