Do Leg Workouts Increase Testosterone?

Did you know that doing leg workouts increase testosterone in your body? And why do people say that you should never skip leg day?

Like many other commonly held beliefs in the fitness space, testosterone production from training legs is one of them. While it is true that higher test levels can contribute to lean muscle mass and muscle growth, there is little evidence to support the idea.

Several factors enhance testosterone in your body, including nutrition and sleep. In this article, we’ll talk about why there are better ways to improve them in your body than leg training.

If you want to know more about the factors contributing to boosting testosterone and muscle building, keep reading!

Do Leg Workouts Increase Testosterone?

The short answer is yes. Legs are a prominent muscle group of the body, so training them has been widely considered a great way to improve testosterone. However, studies have shown that the effect of leg training on testosterone is minimal at best.

It’s not only leg training that helps with increasing testosterone. Exercise, in general, can improve its levels. You can try other methods, such as doing compound exercises like squats, leg curls, deadlifts, and pull-ups.

Weight training, including leg exercises, also boosts your body’s growth hormone level, another essential testosterone-like hormone. 

Additionally, training the legs using high-intensity techniques like supersets, drop sets, and pyramid training increases them by taxing the body’s systems to their limits.

These hormones play a vital role in building and maintaining multiple muscle groups, but many other factors also affect testosterone. And these exercises play a huge part in helping to produce testosterone in your body.

4 Leg Exercises to Improve Testosterone Levels

Do Leg Workouts Increase Testosterone?

1. Lying Leg Curl

This exercise is excellent for targeting the hamstrings, core muscles, and glutes, three key muscle groups that play an essential role in testosterone production.

How to do it:

Lie face down on a bench or surface. Hold onto the weight in front of you. With your legs straight, raise your legs towards you, bending at the knee and using your hamstring muscles to pull the weight towards your torso. 

Lower back down and repeat for a set number of repetitions.

2. Leg Extensions

Another excellent exercise for targeting the quadriceps muscles in your thighs is leg extensions. This exercise increases blood flow to the area, which boosts testosterone.

How to do it: 

Start sitting in a leg extension machine with your legs straight out in front of you. Using the machine’s lever, slowly raise your legs towards you and hold for a few seconds before lowering back down. 

To intensify the workout, try doing a drop set, where you perform several groups with decreasing weight.

3. Leg Press

The leg press is an excellent exercise for targeting all the major muscle groups in your legs, including the quads, hamstrings and glutes. 

Leg presses are also a great way to improve overall strength in the lower body and enhance testosterone if you do it at a high enough intensity.

How to do it: 

Start sitting in the machine with your back against the support pad. Using your legs to push the weight stack, press your feet toward the floor until fully extended. 

Hold for a second and then slowly lower back to the starting position. 

Repeat this motion for several repetitions, and take a short break between sets to allow your muscles time to recover. With consistency and dedication, you can use these leg exercises to boost your test levels and improve your overall health.

4. Box Jumps

Another excellent leg workout is box jumps, which build explosive power in the legs and core. This exercise can also improve cardiovascular health and overall endurance.

How to do it: 

Start by standing in front of a stable, raised platform or box. 

Bend your knees slightly, and then jump onto the box using your arms for support. Be sure to land with both feet on the box. Use your legs to jump back down before repeating several repetitions. 

As you get more comfortable with this exercise, try progressing by increasing the height of the box or by performing multiple jumps in a single set. With regular practice, you can use box jumps to improve your test levels and build overall strength and fitness.

4 Things You Can Do to Naturally Boost Testosterone

1. Exercise

One of the most important things you can do to have more testosterone is to get regular exercise. This includes everything from high-intensity interval training, such as sprinting or lifting weights. 

It is also essential to have other types of cardiovascular exercise, such as jogging or cycling, which assists in keeping your heart healthy and improves your overall endurance.

2. Get Enough Sleep

Another critical component of increasing testosterone is getting enough sleep each night. Doing this means aiming for seven to eight hours of sleep each night, as this is when your whole body produces the majority of its testosterone. 

Ensuring that you get adequate rest improves testosterone and make you feel more energized throughout the day.

3. Manage Stress Levels

High stress is another common cause of low testosterone. It is essential to find ways to manage your stress effectively and reduce its impact on your body to boost testosterone levels. 

This includes practicing mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing exercises, journaling, or engaging in other relaxing activities like yoga or massage therapy.

4. Eat a Healthy Diet

Last but not least, a healthy diet boosts testosterone naturally. Doing this means incorporating plenty of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins into your diet while limiting processed foods and refined sugars. 

Additionally, it is essential to avoid using alcohol or drugs that can harm testosterone production in the body.

FAQs

Do leg squats increase testosterone?

Yes, there are many ways that leg squats enhance testosterone levels naturally. Some examples include building strength and endurance in your lower body’s muscles and improving cardiovascular health through aerobic exercise.

What are the benefits of strong legs?

Some key benefits of solid legs include improved stability and balance and increased muscle mass in your glutes, quads, and calves. 

Strong legs also boost testosterone levels naturally, improve your overall fitness and endurance, and reduce the risk of injury from falls or other accidents. 

Therefore, it is vital to incorporate regular leg exercises into your exercise routine to maximize these benefits.

How many squats will increase testosterone?

We recommend six sets of 10 squats for increasing testosterone levels. However, this may vary depending on your current fitness level and the types of leg exercises that you choose to do. 

So, it is always best to start with fewer repetitions and work your way up slowly over time as you gain strength and endurance. Additionally, it is essential to consult a doctor or fitness professional before starting any new exercise program.

Why do people skip leg days?

Most people miss leg days because they are often more difficult and time-consuming than other body parts, such as the arms and shoulders. 

Many people also need more motivation or focus when exercising their legs, as they are still waiting for immediate results from these exercises. Therefore, it is essential to find ways to stay motivated and focused and ensure that training legs are both challenging and enjoyable. 

Doing this can involve incorporating new exercises or equipment into your routine or working with a personal trainer to stay on track.

The Verdict

Do Leg Workouts Increase Testosterone?

Leg workouts offer many benefits for increasing testosterone levels, including improved strength, endurance, and cardiovascular health. Doing leg exercises to improve testosterone in your body also improves your overall health and fitness.

For those looking to improve their testosterone level naturally, leg training and other activities, such as weight lifting, can be an effective way to do so. Not only does it build strength and endurance in your lower body, but it also improves overall body health by increasing cardiovascular fitness and reducing body fat. Just keep it balanced with an upper-body workout such as strength training for the best results.

Whether you choose high-intensity weight lifting or low-impact activities such as cycling, many different options naturally improve testosterone levels.

If you found this article helpful, check other fitness-related articles on ExpertFitness.org.

Other related articles:

Nathan Lloyd, MSc
LICENSED PERSONAL TRAINER

I’m a personal trainer, based in Boulder, Colorado.
I service clients physically in the Boulder area, mainly in the ONE Boulder Fitness Gym, but am also available for online consulting and coaching.

If you’re interested in my personal coaching programs, please contact me via the contact page.