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This article is all about which exercise increases testosterone.
There are generally three ways to increase testosterone in your body.
First to consume foods that increase testosterone, second to take supplements to increase testosterone level. The third one is to do regular exercises to increase testosterone in the body.
If we look at the chronology of easy methods then we will find that
Supplements > Foods > Exercises
It shows that taking supplements to increase testosterone is the easiest method. Then comes food and in the last exercise.
It is because in our busy life we hardly find the time for regular exercise to increase testosterone.
But we put the easiness aside, exercise is the most efficient and long-lasting method to increase testosterone.
Exercise doesn’t only increase testosterone but also increases immunity, metabolism, muscle growth and overall body gets benefitted.
Now the question arises which exercise increases testosterone?
The answer for which exercise increases testosterone is simple.
It is found in scientific studies that weight lifting is the finest among all the exercises to increase testosterone.
So if our goal is to do exercise to increase testosterone level then we must go for weight lifting exercises.
If we lift weights on the regular basis then our body starts to adjust to the load and release more testosterone and other growth hormones.
In this article, we will discuss some weight-lifting exercises to increase testosterone levels.
Table of Contents
1. Why should we increase testosterone?
People only look and feel old when their bodies slow down the release of these growth hormones.
Science proves that after the age of 30 years, the testosterone level in our body starts decreasing at 1% each year and it may keep decreasing unless you do something about it.
Science shows that lowering of testosterone is due to
- Genetics
- Lack of sufficient sleep
- Lack of physical activities
- Eating lots of carbs
The third possibility of low testosterone can be eliminated by doing exercises to increase testosterone.
Cons of low testosterone level in old age
- Injuries may no longer heal
- Skin starts to get wrinkles
- Body fat increases even though the same amount of food is consumed
- muscle strength and mass decreases
If you don’t want to face such situations in your old days then it is advisable to start increasing your testosterone level in your younger days as it becomes too difficult to increase and maintain testosterone levels naturally in older days.
Not only exercise but you should also follow the diet in order to increase testosterone.
2. How do exercises increase testosterone levels in the body?
When we do exercises that increase testosterone such as weight lifting exercise, we feel sore. It is because the muscle fiber of our body gets broken.
In order to heal these muscles, our body produces more growth hormones such as testosterone than it produces on daily basis. This is how our testosterone level gets increased when we do weight lifting exercises.
Such exercises also lower the production of cortisol which kills testosterone in our body. So our testosterone level increases.
3. Which exercise increases testosterone
Among many weight lifting exercises, there are three main exercises that skyrocket your testosterone level.
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Bench presses
However, we will be discussing 8 exercises here that will help you increase your testosterone level.
1)Squats
The squat is the best exercise to boost your testosterone level and build legs muscles.
- Always squat is the cage
- Don’t go down parallel
- Don’t try to lift more weight that you can’t handle
- Always wear a weight lifting belt
- Release the belt tension when you finish each set
- Don’t walk around with the tight belt
- Use a squat rack or other safety devices
- Never lift without lower safety bars. It is because you might pinch a nerve while squatting that can collapse you. In such a case, the safety bar is useful.
- Never lift high to determine your maximum strength.
Variants of squats
There are 7 famous variants of squats.
1)Back squat – The bar is held on the back of the body at the base of the neck.
2) Front squat – The bar is held in front of the body, resting on the shoulders.
3) Overhead squats – The bar is held over the head in a wide arm grip.
4) Zercher squat – The bar is held in the crooks of the arms.
5) Hack squat – The bar is held in the hands just behind the legs.
6) Jump squats – In this variant, squatter jumps off the floor at the top of the lift.
7) Bodyweight squat – It is done with no bar or empty bar. This is the best way of squatting for warming up the legs and butt.
2) Deadlifts
Deadlifts are considered to be the best exercise in order to increase testosterone levels. It is also the main exercise in the list of which exercise increases testosterone. It also builds muscles over the entire body. It involves the movement which we perform in our daily life like lifting and bending. It makes our real life too easy. Don’t get fooled by the simplicity of this exercise. It is the most effective strength training you can ever do. The deadlift has many benefits. It uses large muscle groups and elicits a hormonal response that involves the release of testosterone.
- Always wear a weightlifting belt
- Never roll your neck
- Never lock your back at the top of the lift.
- Never lift more weight than you can handle
Variants of the deadlifts
There are two most common variants.
- The Romanian deadlifts
- The sumo deadlifts
3) Bench presses
The bench press is the exercise we generally do to train our chest and arms.
The performer of the bench press lowers the weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arms are straight without locking the elbows.
It is also one of the most efficient exercises to increase testosterone levels.
However, it is always advisable to use a rack instead of free weights. If you can control the free weight then you can use them.
variations of the bench press exercise
- Flat bench press – To target chest muscles primarily
- Inclined bench press – It is done to target chest muscles in a different way. Also to target the upper chest.
- Decline bench press – To train lower chest
- Bench presses with different grips – Wider grips to train chest and narrow grip to train arms.
4) Back rows
We do this exercise to get the V-shaped back. It is also a part of weightlifting and can boost testosterone levels easily. While doing this exercise always protect your lower back.
There should be no strain on the lower back. Don’t try to straighten up your waist.
Just lift the weight with the help of your arms and upper back then lower the bar back to the floor.
5) Military press
You can do this exercise using dumbbells or a barbell. Keep your spine straight and don’t bow your back. Pich up the weight and press it above your head.
6) Chin-ups
Do this exercise once a week. If shoulders start paining take a rest.
7) Dips
Best for the back of your arms and chest.
8) Push-ups
4 sets of 25 push up are extremely good to increase testosterone to the optimal levels.
Please Don’t Overtrain
Weightlifting exercises should be done just once a week and not more than that. It is because when we lift heavy weights, our muscle fibers get broken( that’s why we feel muscle soreness after lifting heavy weights).
They need at least one week to recover and heal from the damage. If we do weightlifting more than once we may damage our muscles (probably permanently).
Training the damaged or recovering muscles can create lots of problems. So never overtrain.
Conclusion
Here we have discussed which exercise increases testosterone. Try to do at least some of them.
Some other tips for you regarding boosting testosterone level.
- Using more muscles is more effective than using just one muscle. So a full-body workout is the best.
- Focus on exercising the large muscle groups with compound exercises such as squats for legs and bench presses for chest.
- Keep your rest period in the gym short.
- Exercise for 60 minutes not more than that. It is to avoid activating the production of cortisol which lowers testosterone.
