Did you know HIIT can increase testosterone when you do just the right moves??
Well, HIIT is among the best workouts we got from modern research in the field of health and fitness techniques.
It has a lot of benefits to offer. And one of those benefits also includes boosting testosterone levels safely.
But how does HIIT boost testosterone and what can you do about it?
Well, you’ll get a detailed answer to these questions today!
But, before that, let’s get ourselves a bit more familiar with HIIT…
HIIT is an acronym for High-Intensity Interval Training. It’s basically an extension of cardio exercises, taking it to the next level.
The training involves a similar set of movements as in cardio but with greater intensity and more fortified rest gaps in between the exercises.
You may use machines, free weights, bodyweight, as well as running and jumping also has a place within HIIT training.
Moreover, it’s an expanded format of exercise having a lot of flexibility. At the same time, you need to adhere to a strict set of rules.
Most importantly…
HIIT is not something that targets any specific group of muscles in the body. But it certainly has an impact on your overall strength and fitness.
This is the main reason why experts consider HIIT to be a useful workout for boosting testosterone levels.
While the main objective of this kind of interval training is often considered to be cardiovascular fitness, HIIT doesn’t fail to support physical fitness.
So, how to increase testosterone levels quickly with HIIT?
Well, let’s have a go at it…
Does High Intensity-Interval Training (HIIT) Increase Testosterone?
Modern exercise methodologies involve a lot of complex mechanisms. These give rise to a number of doubts and questions.
‘Does HIIT boost testosterone or not’ is one among such doubts.
Well, the question is technical, and we must not rely on just hollow arguments for the answer. Let’s have a look at some studies that explored the subject.
Study – I
HIIT can Increase free testosterone and muscle power in male athletes.
According to a study on 17 male master athletes between the ages 55-65, the results were positive.
A low volume of HIIT for a regular six weeks can improve free testosterone and Peak Power Output among men.
It is obvious that HIIT will work on the sedentary man. But the positive observations on athletes give out a much positive result.
Study – II
This was a sixteen-week experiment on obese men doing moderate interval training routines over a period of time.
Constant monitoring of the vital statistics gives the following results:
HIIT is helpful in:
- Regulating lipid metabolism
- Balancing body composition
- Optimizing insulin production
- Regulating testosterone and cortisol levels in the body
Also, it is helpful in decreasing the levels of leptin and body fats.
Study- III
This study compares the response of testosterone to intense interval activities and steady-state exercises.
On comparing both methods of training for the same amount of time, the result was in the favor of HIIT.
Testosterone reserves in the body show more response to HIIT than any steady-state form of exercise.
So, all the above three studies vote in the favor of HIIT. They all somehow prove that HIIT is effective in increasing testosterone production within the body.
‘But why and how much?’ That’s still something to think about.
Hormone production, as we all know, is a process of our body’s endocrine system. So, there’s a deep explanation behind the reasons why HIIT does boost testosterone.
In the forthcoming sections, we’ll also get to know how does HIIT increase testosterone and how much exercise you need to do.
So, let’s see…
How Does HIIT Boost Testosterone?
It’s now an established fact that intense exercises combined with short intervals are helpful in creating spikes in your testosterone levels.
Intense exercises and activities that rack up your heartbeat are counted in the HIIT exercises.
However, there are other exercises as well to boost testosterone levels. But HIIT especially challenges your muscles and cardiovascular system simultaneously.
As a matter of fact, this has a huge impact on testosterone production within your body.
To perform HIIT exercises, you need a due amount of physical ability and fitness. It’s because you have to retain your full potential for around 15-20 minutes to get the associated benefits out of it.
Half-hearted attempts won’t deliver the results you hope for. You have to fully commit to the HIIT parameters of 30 seconds bursts of exercises and then schedule breaks of equal time periods.
There are so many exercises under the umbrella of HIIT including complex muscle movements. You may also add short bursts of cycling, running, and other such activities to the intervals.
All these exercises trigger compound muscle movement that directly affects testosterone release.
So far, we have addressed two questions – Does HIIT boost Testosterone, and how does HIIT boost testosterone?
But there are a lot of unattended doubts among people out there. These doubts include questions like how to plan and perform these exercises for the best results!
The list is long, but we have to follow the rule of first things first.
So, it is now time to see the level of increment in testosterone production through HIIT.
How Much HIIT Do You Need to Increase Testosterone?
A perfectly executed session of high-intensity interval training can promote your testosterone levels significantly.
As of now, there’s no solid research to figure out the exact estimation of the amount of increase in testosterone levels due to HIIT exercises.
According to experts, you must finish your HIIT session within 15 minutes to harness the best output from the exercises.
While the results also depend upon how many days you add HIIT to your workout, it must not be more than two days a week for beginners.
Exceeding the healthy limits of these exercises may take the results to the other side. It goes without saying that you need to know the limitations and requirements of your body.
That’s the thing to explore according to the needs, strength, energy, and endurance of your body.
Less than the required duration of a workout will not give you any considerable results. And more than enough of it will put an unnecessary load on your muscles and cardiovascular system.
Hence, you need to find the right balance…!
Now, after seeing why HIIT is good for testosterone and how HIIT increases testosterone, it’s now time to have a look at the HIIT exercises to boost testosterone.
Let’s see what you need to add to your workout routine…
6 Best At-Home HIIT Exercises to Boost Testosterone
All the HIIT exercises are somehow helpful in boosting testosterone levels. But following are some of the best home HIIT exercises you need to do for testosterone increase:
#1: High Knee Sprints
Run at the same spot with the utmost potential and effort you can put in. Try to lift your knees as high as possible.
This exercise instantly speeds up your heart rate and intensifies the blood and oxygen flow throughout the body.
It stimulates stretch in the groin region and strengthens the pelvic floor. Furthermore, high knee sprints are good for your Quads, Glutes, and Hamstrings.
#2: Squat Jumps
An amazing amalgamation of two compound movements to engage almost every major muscle of your lower body.
The initial position to perform this exercise is similar to the conventional squats. You have to go down like you usually do in regular squats.
Though, while getting up, you need to put more force and extend the movement into a vigorous jump.
While this is an easy exercise in comparison to the first one, it is equally effective if you do it in a proper way.
#3: Sprinting
Short-distance sprints also come within the counting of the best HIIT for testosterone.
Sprinting not only engages all the major muscles of your body but also initiates their full stretch.
This makes all your muscles active at once. And as you already know, the more active your muscles are, the more free testosterone will be released.
Thus, add sprints to your workout routine at least 2 days a week. This will also drastically improve your endurance and stamina.
#4: Cycling
This one is similar to the muscle movements in sprinting, but a bit more intense.
Cycling is also responsible for the intense stretching of your lower body muscles.
However, a steady core on the seat makes it a bit more challenging. This eventually gives you better results.
You can mix it up with alternating leg jumps and other free-body movements to intensify the training. This will lead to an improvement in your endurance and stamina.
#5: Kettlebell Swings
A bit different from all the above exercises, Kettlebell Swings involve more upper body muscles in comparison to all the above exercises.
This exercise is the result of the sudden explosion in the popularity of CrossFit training.
If you have knee problems or other joint issues within your lower body, most of the HIIT exercises are not for you, except this one.
Kettlebell swings are perfect for people who are not able to put much load on their lower body joints, such as the knees and ankles.
#6: Battle Ropes
Another such HIIT exercise to spare your lower body from unnecessary load!
Battle rope involves similar muscle groups as in Kettlebell Swings.
However, the movements are much more rapid and intense.
Battle ropes exercise is part of most of the before-workout warm-ups for the upper body.
The activation of all the shoulder and back muscles triggers a high amount of testosterone release.
So, as you can see, all the HIIT exercises to boost testosterone involve rapid muscle movements. Most of these exercises include core and lower body movements.
In the exercises where core or lower body movement is not needed, that portion needs to remain steady and stiff.
Well, this was all about a HIIT workout. But what if you don’t want to do HIIT or would much rather prefer a different form of exercise?
Good for you, there are a few more exercises that help to boost testosterone. The next section features some of those exercises…
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More Exercises to Boost Testosterone
Any exercise that involves compound muscle movements with heavy loads will directly or indirectly make a positive impact on testosterone release.
Some of these compound movements include:
#1: Deadlifts
This one is an uncrowned king of all the weight training exercises!
However, it might take you a lot of time and effort to perform a perfect deadlift with a substantial amount of weight.
But it is worth that wait and practicing because of the results you get out of this exercise.
Alone, this exercise can take care of all the major muscle groups of your body if you leave out the chest area.
Deadlifts not only stimulate the testosterone release but also give you a strong and steady core. Not to mention, it helps to improve your performance at all the other exercises as well.
#2: Weighted Squats
If not the king, it’s certainly among the most powerful warriors of the troop. Weighted squats are equally effective in all domains of deadlifts, if not more.
If someone asks you- how to increase testosterone without HIIT, you can answer in a single word – weighted squats. Oops! That’s two words, sorry!
However, you can’t afford any lapse in concentration while performing weighted squats. It involves simple-looking but hard execute movements of your legs and core.
You must perform it under expert supervision for safe and best results.
#3: Bench Press
Well, this is undoubtedly the last ace in your hand to sweep off the competition.
Bench press completes the trio of powerlifting. It also fills in for all the gaps left in the above two exercises.
While it’s a bit easy to execute in comparison to the above two exercises, it targets a whole different set of muscles.
The bench press is the best exercise for all the chest muscles in its several variations. Also, it targets your shoulder and upper abdomen.
Now, you know how rapid movements can help increase testosterone levels and heavy lifting can do the same.
Hence, it is not about the type of movement. It’s the activation of muscles that makes an impact on testosterone release.
On that note, let’s now sum up…
Conclusion
This long discussion gives us the answers to some important questions about the relationship between HIIT and testosterone.
HIIT does help boost testosterone but only when the right moves are practiced.
Now, we can conclusively say that HIIT is substantially helpful in boosting testosterone levels among men.
There are studies featured in the text above to support this fact.
However, you need to perfectly execute HIIT exercises and take care of the time duration to maximize the benefits and reduce the risk of damage.
Not only HIIT but there are several other exercises to support the testosterone boost within your body.
Try to mix them up for better results.
Hope the information so far was useful for you. Please leave your feedback below and don’t forget to share your testosterone-boosting workout routine right below with other readers.