Dispelling Myths: Exercise Edition
*plus video examples
Is it true or not?
Do leg workouts increase testosterone?
Exercise does increase testosterone levels, but it's not as simple as don't skip leg day. Any exercise can give someone a boost in testosterone levels, but it will likely only last under an hour after the workout is complete. Some doctors believe this can be useful to those who are borderline deficient in testosterone, but will not be enough to help someone more heavily deficient.
Other factors that can play a part in how effective exercise is at increasing your testosterone levels are age, weight, fitness level, and time of day. Also, keep in mind there's a limit to how much exercise this is useful for and many elite athletes who lean on the side of overexerting themselves can have the opposite effect.
Even though leg workouts are not exclusive to boosting testosterone, one of the best forms of exercise that have been found to work well for increasing levels is weight lifting.
Should men and women be doing gender-specific workouts?
Exercises are not gender-specific they are goal-specific. No matter your gender, if your goal is to get bigger biceps, bicep exercises will do the trick. Muscle building will occur in men and women if lifting weights.
Gender-specific workouts are usually either just marketing or for the comfort of the participant. When a workout program is advertised as being for men or women only it's just marketing to get you to buy into it by appealing to what's unique about your group. However, sometimes this is done to the advantage of the group involved as it can create a comfort level for those new to working out, such as a women's only gym. So although, not always bad, don't exclude an exercise just because you have been made to believe it is male or female specific.
Instead of looking at an exercise as gender-specific, look at it by what you want to accomplish. If there's a particular part of the body you want to build up, the exercises that target that muscle group will benefit you no matter your gender. However, a good rule of thumb is to keep the whole body in consideration when working out, so that you don't develop an imbalance by placing too much focus in only one area. Â
Examples of weight lifting exercises...
Whether your intent is to boost testosterone levels or not, whether you are male or female, you will likely find these useful.
Leaning Lateral Raise
Arnold Press
Wide Grip Bent Over Row
Barbell Lunges
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