Does HIIT Workouts Boost Free Testosterone Levels?

Here is how you can boost your testosterone naturally by burning calories in the gym!

According to advanced reports and recent research pieces, HIIT beats many factors to become one of the best ways to boost testosterone naturally!

With the ability to tone your muscles, and cut down extra calories, HIIT can also help you fire up your testosterone.

Now this gives HIIT an advantage over the traditional steady form of workouts.

But not all HIIT plans work in favor of your declining testosterone, and hence the following sections bring you an advanced take on HIIT and testosterone.

High-Intensity Interval Training and Testosterone – The Link!

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HIIT is also famous for burst training or sprint training and is an effective way of hitting the cardio right.

The training involves periods of high-intensity cardio workout followed by rest or low-intensity workout.

Usually, the time you invest in a HIIT session depends on your comfort but athletes consider 10 to 45 minutes of HIIT more valuable than steady cardio sessions.

Key benefits of HIIT:

Boosts hormonal balance
Targets various muscles
Increases stamina
Improves your range of motion
Amplifies metabolism

Many studies also talk about High-Intensity Interval Training that Boosts Testosterone, we bring you some of this evidence before digging deeper.

Does HIIT Boost Testosterone?

Study I

A study was conducted in 2017 to study the effects of HIIT on muscles and testosterone.

For the observations, the testosterone levels among 17 males were measured for 6 weeks, and were asked to perform:

6 thirty-second sprints
Split up

And three minutes of active recovery was noted.

According to the results on the relation between HIIT and Testosterone, it was found that there was an increase in free testosterone levels among participants.

Study II

A test was conducted to observe HIIT’s effect on testosterone on free T-levels among 15 well endured trained men.

The participants performed:

90 seconds sprint
90 second light jogging in between

For 45 minutes.

These participants were also asked to perform 45 minutes of steady running.

One final observation, it was noted that HIIT had a significant effect on testosterone levels as compared to steady exercises.

Study III

A clinical study observed 18 cyclists divided into two groups for 4 weeks.

The participants through the study completed eight 30 minutes training sessions including:

Explosive single leg jump
Cycling
active recovery alterations

According to the results of the HIIT, here cycling raised the testosterone levels among participants by almost 97%.

Altogether, studies prove that HIIT can actually boost testosterone, and here is how it does so.

How does HIIT Boost Testosterone?

A complete HIIT Muscle Building Program or even a regular HIIT program delivers the final results that aid in shooting testosterone levels up:

#1. Weight loss

According to experts, excess fat around the abdominal area has a direct relation with hormones in the body.

Since HIIT boosts metabolism, it also helps you lose weight and fat, which in short also affects your hormones.

#2. The 4-minutes effect

HIIT denotes going as high as you can during the high-intensity period irrespective of the activity.

The main goal to achieve here is a 4 minutes effect.

For example:

5 minutes of warm-up
30 seconds high-intensity workout
60 seconds recovery with a light jog
30 seconds of hard work

Repeating the whole cycle 8 times, get you exact 4 minutes.

And the point you reach the 4-minute mark, your body explodes with the release of testosterone and even HGH.

#3. Muscle gains

HIIT does build muscle! And as we all know the more muscles we have the more calorie we burn.

But here, the large muscle gains are because of the rising testosterone levels.

The more muscles formed the more testosterone produced because of the cycle.

So far so good, we now know that HIIT helps boost testosterone but there isn’t always an increase in Testosterone Levels After a Workout.

It depends on the type of exercise you put in your routine.

Hence, in the following sections, we bring you some of the best HIIT from the Testosterone Boosting Workout Program.

Best HIIT For Testosterone – Top Exercises to Boost Testosterone

#1. Sprinting – HIIT For Testosterone

Sprinting HIIT For Testosterone

You can perform sprinting both outdoors and indoors (on the treadmill) and hence it doesn’t require many pieces of equipment.

Since the studies focus more on how sprinting for 30 seconds with a recovery of 3 delivers testosterone, sprinting is one of the best Testosterone Boosting Exercises At Home.

You can add the following plan to your routine:

Beginners:

30 seconds sprint
3 minutes of active recovery that includes light jogging in between
Perform at least 6 rounds for maximum results

Intermediates and Advanced:

90 seconds sprints
90 seconds of active recovery
42-47 minutes each session

#2. Bike Sprint – HIIT For Testosterone

Bike Sprint

It is a variation of the regular sprint and requires a stationary bike for the exercise.

The program advises you to pedal the stationary cycle as fast as you can for 30 seconds with enough resistance.

Pose thirty seconds, continue with slow pedaling for one minute for your active recovery.

Repeat the entire session at least 10 to 20 times as per the comfort and condition of your body.

#3. Leg Jumps with Low Cycling – HIIT For Testosterone

Leg Jumps with Low Cycling

You can even try thirty minutes session of alternating high-intensity jumps and low-intensity cycling.

Though beginners are not able to continue with the activity for thirty seconds, you will gradually reach there to complete the set.

The program goes on as:

1 minute of single-leg jumps
2 minutes of cycling at a low intensity
Total 60 minutes of a session

#4. Battle Ropes last – HIIT For Testosterone

Battle Ropes last

If you are a gym freak you would have tried the battle ropes.

It is an easy exercise but can shoot up your testosterone levels to an amazing peak.

All you got to need are battle ropes, and just get going.

The program includes going hard with the ropes for 30 seconds followed by low-intensity active recovery.

Repeat the session for 10 rounds.

#5. Hill Sprint – HIIT For Testosterone

Hill Sprint

Another variation of the simple sprint but contrary to the equipment used, here we are running on an incline.

Might sound complex, but is far easier on your joints than running outside or on a treadmill.

The program involves:

Sprinting for twenty to thirty seconds on an incline
Walk back and slow down for sometime
Repeat for 10 rounds

#6. The sled push – HIIT For Testosterone

The sled push

Yet another piece of equipment of the gym giving you some serious HIIT challenges is a sled that gives you anaerobic condition.

The plan involves highly intense pushing of a weight that is 75 to 80% of your max pushing capacity.

You need to follow the plan of pushing for one minute, resting for 3 minutes with low-intensity workouts, and repeating for 4 to 5 rounds.

#7. Tabata

Tabata HIIT For Testosterone

It is an extreme form of workout that aims at delivering amazing results in a short period.

The plan involves performing 8 rounds of 20 seconds high-intensity workout with 10 seconds of rest.

A sample Tabata workout plan includes:

Burpees
Squats
Mountain climbers
Pushups
Crunches

#8. Boxing – HIIT For Testosterone

Boxing can help in weight loss by burning as many as 500 calories per hour!

The best part of the workout is, it’s fun to perform as it does not include repetitions like other workouts.

All you need to do is perform your boxing techniques at a higher pace and intensity for a shorter period alternating it with slow and loose moves.

#9. Kettlebell Swings – HIIT For Testosterone

Kettlebell Swings

They target many muscles are hence often chosen to overrun.

Usually, people who are worried about their knees and ankles, or people with injuries prefer the workout.

For a full-body HIIT, coupling Kettlebell swings with squat are often tried:

Choose the kettlebell weight in such a way that you can perform the exercises for at least 10 rounds with increased heart rate and breathlessness.

This ensures a good workout session.

Avoid using weights that exert stress on your back, beginners can begin with 10 lbs of the kettlebell.

For squats with a kettlebell you can try out:

Sumo squat
Squat to press
Front squat
Squat clean

And much more.

The plan would be the same as in other workouts.

#10. Jumping Ropes – HIIT For Testosterone

Jumping Ropes HIIT For Testosterone

Many athletes train with the jumping ropes because it tones muscles that can be prone to injury.

Performing it as a HIIT would not just burn many calories but would also aid in boosting testosterone.

For the plan of HIIT, you can perform a high-intensity workout with the ropes for the first 30 seconds then active recovery, and repeat.

#11. The Squat Jump – HIIT For Testosterone

The Squat Jump

Squat jump targets many muscles of the lower body and serves as an essential exercise if you wanna boost up your testosterone.

For performing squat jump rightly:

Keep your feet flat on the floor at a distance of the shoulder width
Bend your knees outward to form a squatting position
Lower down until your thighs are parallel to the ground
Now push yourself up from the ground
And return to the position

#12. High Knee Sprints – HIIT For Testosterone

High Knee Sprints

Yet another variation of the spring is the high knee sprint where you target muscles like the quads, g; utes, and hamstring.

All you need to do is:

Start with a standing position where your feet lie shoulder-width apart.
Now lift one leg off the floor keeping your knee as high as you can
Bring the leg back to its original position and repeat with another leg
Repeat as fast as you can during the high-intensity period.

Session Plan For HIIT workouts to boost testosterone

While we are aware of the workouts to add up to the routine, the time spent doing the workouts also matters.

According to experts, even beginners should go as long as 15 minutes in every session. going higher than these for beginners can cause muscle destruction leading to declining in testosterone.

The same applies for carrying out workouts daily, HIIT should only be two days a week for beginners.

Intermediate and advanced fitness practitioners can go on with HIIT for three days a week.

With that said, it’s also important to add up some ways of amplifying the results of HIIT on testosterone.

Speeding Up Testosterone Boost with HIIT

Along with performing HIIT twice or thrice a week, you must also add up the following changes to your daily life for a more advanced result:

#1. Enough sleep

Lack of sleep despite performing enough HIIT can affect your hormonal levels decreasing them beyond normal.

Studies also claim of seeing a drop in testosterone among men who don’t get enough sleep.

Hence manage your sleep cycle to fit into the run.

#2. Healthy Diet

So yes healthy diet is not just important for your testosterone but also your workout results.

However, we have to maintain a diet that supplies our nutritional requirements and not diets that contain too much of unhealthy materials.

Some of the best diets contain whole grains, and a balance of fats, proteins, and carbs.

#3. Manage stress

Stress has been linked with the decline in testosterone among many studies.

Other than that they can also make you gain weight and invite many diseases.

Hence take stress management steps like therapies or natural treatment if you are dealing with chronic stress.

#4. Supplements

Many supplements can boost testosterone levels naturally too.

Usually, there are many supplements in the same industry, but only natural T-boosters are trustable.

Conclusion

You might have heard of testosterone supplements, and testosterone boosting foods, but some exercises increase testosterone.

HIIT or high-intensity interval training is one such training found effective in boosting testosterone among many researchers.

While the exercise does include high complexities but it also delivers many benefits.

For example, some of the key benefits of indulging in HIIT twice a week include building muscle mass, reducing weight, and of course boost in testosterone.