Training with weights can raise the testosterone levels in your body. Combined with a proper nutritional strategy, higher levels of testosterone can foster new muscle mass. Numerous other factors also impact your body's ability to build muscle tissue, including sleep, proper training progression, rest, and injury and illness avoidance.
Step 1
Use complex whole-body movements that stimulate large amounts of muscle tissue in your training routine. These types of movements have been shown to evoke an anabolic hormonal response, according to National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) research. Examples of these types of lifts include squats, deadlifts, hangcleans, powercleans, snatch, bench press, pull-ups and bent-over rows.
Step 2
Perform between six and 12 repetitions of each exercise using weights that push your muscles to failure at the end of each set. Use upwards of 12 to 20 total sets, focusing on the specific muscles you want to grow. Research published in a 2008 issue of the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" indicates that a high volume of work may be the most important workout variable when attempting to induce hormonal adaptations.
Step 3
Rest between 30 to 120 seconds after each set. This will ensure that your rest periods are not long enough to allow your muscles to achieve full recovery. According to the NSCA, rest periods of this length are important to prevent full recovery if you seek to increase testosterone levels. However, a research study published in a 2009 issue of the journal "Sports Medicine" indicated that 30- to 60-second rest breaks facilitate better muscle growth due to effects on growth hormone.
Step 4
Avoid performing any prolonged endurance activities that require more than 2 minutes of repetitive movement. These activities will improve your cardiorespiratory efficiency, but they will also stimulate excessive levels of cortisol which will counteract your desired testosterone response.
Tips and Warnings
- Use interval training or high-intensity sprints to perform cardiorespiratory exercise while you attempt to gain lean muscle mass. Sprints and interval training match the bioenergetics used in weightlifting, and as a result these forms of cardio exercise do not limit your ability to gain lean muscle mass as much as long duration cardio activity does.
- Beginning an intensive weight-training routine necessary for lean muscle gain requires the use of proper form and technique, along with a base level of fitness. If you are not knowledgeable about proper exercise form, consult a fitness professional to help you avoid injury.
Things You'll Need
- Barbells
- Weight plates
- Dumbbells
- Exercise machines
References
- "NSCA Essentials of Strength Training & Conditioning"; Thomas Baechle, Ph.D. and Roger Earle, Ph.D.; 2000
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; Hormonal responses to different resistance exercise schemes of similar total volume; Uchida, Crewther, Ugrinowitsch, Bacurau, Moriscot & Aoki; October 2009
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; The salivary testosterone and cortisol response to three loading schemes; Crewther, Cronin, Keogh and Cook; January 2008
- "Sports Medicine"; Rest intervals between sets in strength training; de Salles, Simao, Miranda, Novaes, Lemos, & Willardson; 2009
Member Comments