Few would disagree that testosterone is, and probably always will be, the buzzword associated with fitness. While things constantly chop and change in this industry, one thing which has remained constant is the power of testosterone and just what it can do to your body.
For today’s article, we are going to take a look at some of the ways you can use exercise to boost your levels of testosterone, as well as finding out just how this will affect your body and if there are any “easier” ways to facilitate this growth.
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How to boost your testosterone with exercise
First and foremost, how can you use exercise to increase your levels of testosterone? Fortunately, plenty of studies have been conducted around this, and there are certain types of exercise that really can boost your levels. Let’s take a look at them in-detail:
Lifting heavy weights
This first point really won’t come as a surprise. After all, weight lifting and testosterone has lived hand-in-hand since seemingly the beginning of time. However, you really need to turn to the heavy weights in a bid to reap the maximum rewards. The experts suggest that you turn to as high as 95% of your one rep maximum, and only use the compound exercises like squats, bench presses and deadlifts.
If you can do these sorts of sessions two or three times per week, you’ll be onto a real winner.
Sprinting
Granted, sprinting might not be for everyone, but one study found that it takes just short bursts (and we mean really short, like 6-seconds) to maintain high levels of testosterone. Of course, you need to perform several sprints in a bid to get the very best out of it, but make sure your recovery periods are around four times longer than the time you spent sprinting. So, if you sprinted for ten seconds, make sure your recovery is at least 40 seconds long.
Longer rests
If we turn to the topic of longer rests for a moment, this is something that might surprise you. It has been found that longer rest periods between each of your sets will build more testosterone than shorter ones. In terms of specifics, you should be aiming for around 120 seconds between each set.
If you have followed the advice in the first point about lifting really heavy weights, this is something that actually makes sense.
Long cardio isn’t a testosterone answer
We have preached weight lifting and sprints so far, but something that we most definitely won’t be recommending are long cardio sessions. It has actually been found that these can lower your levels of testosterone. The likes of cyclists have much lower levels of it, and in some quarters this is regarded as an advantage.
The forced rep principle
Another exercise method is forced repetitions. This again involves weight lifting, and this time you will be completing as many reps as you can. You’ll also have a spotter alongside you, who will help you complete those final few reps which you wouldn’t be able to do alone.
It has been found through various forms of research that these forced reps are able to prompt higher testosterone levels than standard ones.
Leg exercises can be key
If you were to target just one area of your body for testosterone purposes, your legs would be it. A study looked at the differences in testosterone between people who worked their upper and lower body, and the results were resounding for the latter group. As such, make sure you turn to squats and deadlifts – with these two compound exercises being key to success.
The effects of testosterone
So, you’ve managed to incorporate all of these testosterone-boosting tips into your exercise regime, but what’s next? What exactly does higher levels of testosterone achieve?
If we were to answer this question in the space of one sentence, it would be that testosterone has been found through countless forms of research to boost your muscle growth, whilst helping you to burn fat at the same time. From a fitness perspective at least, it’s a win-win. We should also add that this can all happen without any exercise (although the rewards are of course multiplied when the E-word is put into the equation).
Unfortunately, to bring an extra layer of complexity into proceedings, you have to hike your testosterone levels to pretty significant heights to really witness the muscle-building effects. If you are still within the realms of normal, you won’t really notice a different. Scientists found that as long as your levels stay between 300-1,000 ng/dl, the amount of muscle you build won’t change greatly. Instead, you need to take this level up a notch (by like 20-30%).
However, there is some good news. When it comes to fat loss, there is a more direct correlation with testosterone. Research by universities has found that the higher a person’s testosterone levels, the less fat they have. The same rule applied vice-versa – and this time there were no limits.
The above is one of the reasons why steroids became so popular at one point. This was a quick way to rocket up your testosterone levels, and reap the muscular rewards. “Normal” activities don’t really take your testosterone far enough.
The rise of testosterone boosters
The previous section concluded by touching on the reasons why steroids were once so popular. Well, as you probably know, they also happened to have countless side effects associated with them.
This is the reason why natural alternatives have entered the picture, aptly named testosterone boosters. These tend to be made from herbal ingredients, containing components that have been found to naturally increase testosterone. They usually do this through the likes of zinc, which has been found time and time again to boost testosterone, as well as adaptogens which help the body sleep better and react better to stress.
The big difference with these products is that they are completely safe. Again, we don’t need to get into the list of terrible side effects associated with steroids, but the beauty about testosterone boosters is that they are comprised naturally. Natural ingredients immediately open up a safety net with products – although we would of course always recommend that you research a company providing such a solution thoroughly before pledging your money.
Of course, the effects from these products aren’t quite as potent as steroids – which isn’t a surprise. Nevertheless, if you combine them with an exercise programme, you can reap some really good results. A lot of people have experienced terrific weight loss and muscle growth through using them, and the ingredients that form part of them are backed by established researchers.
Now that we have got the introductions to these boosters over with, it might be an idea to point towards one of the market leaders in this field. It goes by the name of Testogen, and can be broken down as follows:
What You need to know about Testogen
- Testogen is a completely natural testosterone boosting product. It has been proven to boost your strength, stamina and even help those of you with poor libido.
- The product is formed by a tried-and-tested combination of eleven different ingredients. All are safe, and have that elusive research behind them which proves they work in boosting testosterone.
- There are no nasty injections here, you’ll take no more than four capsules a day with your meals. It can slip into your routine at ease.
- The manufacturers are so convinced by their formula that they will provide all customers with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
- The product arrives with free shipping and starts from $59.99/ month. However, if you order in bulk, it’s possible to save up to $170.
Buy Testogen directly from the manufacturer
