Because most men with Klinefelter's syndrome have low testosterone levels, it makes it difficult to recover from workouts and build lean tissue. While you can build muscle, it becomes more difficult given lower levels of the most powerful muscle-building hormone. Consult your physician and possibly endocrinologist before beginning any strength-training program.
Training and Diet
Step 1
Train using heavy, compound movements for low to moderate repetitions. If you can move the weight you are using for more than 10 repetitions through a full range of motion, you are not training hard enough. Heavy resistance training increases the ability of your body to produce testosterone, according to a 2011 study published in Steroids.
Step 2
Use heavy weights on the squat and deadlift. These exercises work the largest, most powerful muscles of your body and generate the greatest anabolic response. Even though you should be using weight that makes you work hard to complete five to eight repetitions, you should never sacrifice good technique.
Step 3
Move quickly between sets of exercises in the gym. Long rest periods allow the hormone known as cortisol to rise, which can eat away at lean muscle tissue. Intense resistance training with short rest periods, such as under two minutes, will allow your testosterone levels to remain high without an increase in cortisol levels, according to a 2010 study published in Fiziol Cheloveka.
Step 4
Eat more protein than someone who is not trying to gain muscle. According to a study published in 2000 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, if you are engaged in heavy exercises, you might need up to twice as much protein as someone who is not working out. Get your protein from beef, oily fish, milk and eggs.
Step 5
Eat foods that contain fat. A low-fat diet limits your ability to produce testosterone. Beef and oily fish provide fats that you need for your body to produce steroidal hormones and promote muscle protein synthesis. Fish is particularly high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help you recover from training and build lean muscle mass.
Tips and Warnings
- Continually track your progress in the gym and adjust your diet accordingly. If you are not gaining, you may need to increase your protein intake.
- Never lift without a spotter.
Things You'll Need
- Barbell
- Plates
- Dumbbells
- Adjustable Bench
- Power rack
References
- "Steroids"; Heavy Resistance Exercise Training and Skeletal Muscle Androgen Receptor Expression in Younger and Older Men; J.P Ahtiainen, et al.; January 2011
- "Fiziol Cheloveka"; Acute Testosterone and Cortisol Responses to High Power Resistance Exercise; A.C. Fry, et al.; July-August 2010
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; P.W. Lemon; Beyond the Zone: Protein Needs of Active Individuals; October 2000
- "Journal of Steroidal Biochemistry"; Decrease of Serum Total and Free Testosterone During a Low-fat High-fibre Diet; E.K. Hamalainen, et al.; March 1983
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Increases the Rate of Muscle Protein Synthesis in Older Adults: a Randomized Controlled Trial; G.I. Smith, et al.; February 2011
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