Testosterone is known as the male sex hormone and regulates many important functions in the body, such as sex drive, muscles and bone mass, fat distribution, red blood cell production and muscle strength which makes many people wonder if boxing training can increase testosterone or not.
As men age, their testosterone levels start to drop, especially when they reach their late 30s and early 40s. Then, it starts to drop about 2% a year, according to an article published in Men’s Journal, which is why you may be asking yourself: does boxing raise testosterone?
Boxing and testosterone
When it comes to aging, the Human Growth Hormone, HGH, also decreases, as you can read in a post by Title Boxing. This hormone reduces the effects of aging, helps build muscle and improves your general health. Nonetheless, you can obtain all of this by getting at least 8 hours of sleep every day and by reducing stress.
“Too little sleep and too much stress produce a reaction from your body that releases hormones from your pituitary gland that, in turn, decreases HGH levels”, the article says. But it is not only the HGH that can increase naturally with exercise, but testosterone can also as well.
Title Boxing writes that it has been proven that intense exercises, such as interval training or boxing can increase testosterone levels and if you are already in your 30s, it is important than ever to exercise on a regular basis to help your hormones increase naturally. So, does boxing boost testosterone? Yes, it does.
“Those days of casually going in the gym and meandering from bag to bag, getting a few rounds in and just getting by are over. The days where youth is on your side has to be replaced by a concerted effort to use every minute you’re in the gym”, Title Boxing suggests.
Additionally, having normal testosterone levels brings many more benefits than those we mentioned above:
- It can help overcome depression;
- Reduces body fat;
- Strengthens your bones;
- Improves libido;
- Your cognitive abilities improve;
- You will feel more competitive.
Exercises for increasing testosterone naturally
As you may already know, there are ways to increase testosterone by taking dangerous drugs or getting a prescription to inject this hormone, but that is not something we recommend since it can seriously harm your health. The best way to increase your testosterone levels is by exercising and putting hard work in your training.
“To maintain high testosterone levels, it is best to eat foods high in magnesium, zinc, and vitamin K, like dark leafy greens for magnesium, shellfish to get a healthy dose of zinc, and plenty of egg yolks for vitamin K,” says Thomas King, M.S., C.S.C.S., strength and conditioning coach at JK Conditioning in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, cited by Men’s Journal.
In addition, there are specific exercises that can help you build testosterone. According to King, it consists of those that use the largest muscle groups, such as:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Bench press
- Rowing
- Pullups and chinups
- Overhead press
- Pushups
The reason why exercising these muscles helps to maximize testosterone levels is that they need a large amount of muscle mass to be done and, according to King, “the amount of muscle mass recruited during an exercise has been shown to be an important factor in the release of testosterone.”
Boxing can also help increase testosterone levels because you will gain muscle mass when training, as we have told you before in another post. You can also try this testosterone-building workout suggested by Men’s Journal and that focuses on the major movement patterns, such as hip hinge, squats, vertical and horizontal push and vertical and horizontal pull. They also recommend you do this routine three times per week on nonconsecutive days.
Deadlift
Do 5 sets of 5 repetitions and rest for 5 minutes in between each set. First, stand with your feet hip-width and bend your hips back to reach down and grasp the bar. Your hands should be just outside the knees. Keep your lower back in its natural arch and drive your heels into the floor. Pull the bar up along your shins until you are standing with your hips completely extended and the bar is in front of your thighs.
Back squat
This exercise will also be of 5 sets, 5 repetitions and 5 minutes of rest in between. Set a barbell on a power rack at about shoulder height. Stand in front of it and grasp it with hands at shoulder width. Raise your elbows under and make sure your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Take the bar and let it rest on your upper back and squat as low as you can without losing the arch in your lower back.
Bench press
This exercise will be of 4 sets of 8 repetitions and 2 minutes of rest between each rep. You will have to grasp the bar just outside shoulder width and arch your back to create a space between your lower back and the bench. Pull the bar out of the rack and lower it to your sternum. Press the floor with your feet and push the bar up.
Bent-over row
Do 4 sets of this exercise, 8 repetitions and 2 minutes of rest. Grasp the bar overhand at shoulder width and let it hang in front of your thighs. Next, bend at the hips and lower your torso so it is parallel to the floor. Do this with your knees bent and squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the bar to your belly again.
Shoulder press
The handles of the shoulder press machine should be at shoulder level. Grasp the handles so your palms face each other. Finally, press the handles overhead. Do 4 sets of these with 8 reps and a 2-minute rest.
Chinups
This consists of grabbing a pullup bar at shoulder width and pulling yourself up until your chin is over it. Do 4 sets, 8 reps per set and rest 2 minutes between each one.
Pushups
Place your hands on the floor at shoulder width. Your body should be straight and your abs braced. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lower your body until your chest is an inch above the floor, then push yourself back up. You need to do 4 sets of these, 10 reps each and rest 2 minutes in between.
Tips for increasing testosterone naturally
Fight Camp Conditioning listed several other ways to help you increase your testosterone levels automatically and we have summarized them here just for you. Remember, there may be other ways to achieve this increase unnaturally but they may cause you irreversible damage and other secondary effects. Keep reading for the healthy way:
- Add healthier fats to your diet
Some of the food that contains healthy fats are raw nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, wild fish and organic meats.
2. Eat more vegetables
Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts and spinach can help decrease estrogen levels naturally.
3. Reduce alcohol intake
A drink now and then is ok, but if you are doing it on a regular basis it may be destroying your testosterone levels.
4. Say no to xenoestrogens
This is a chemical found in some plastics and it mimics the estrogen in the body so don’t expose yourself to plastic bags, drinking containers and food containers. Use glass and paper products when possible.
5. Limit caffeine
Do not overuse caffeine stimulants, such as energy drinks, caffeine shots and pills or others. One cup of coffee per day is fine, otherwise, you will stress your body unnecessarily.
6. Do not overeat processed starches and sugars
If you consume high carbohydrate meals all day long your testosterone levels will decrease, which is not what you want.
7. Exercise for at less than 45 minutes
Try to keep your workouts short, intense and efficient since after 45 minutes of exercise your cortisol levels may increase and your testosterone decrease.
8. Use high-intensity principles
You do not have to make every workout super intensive but you can add short doses of high-intensity work such as compound lifts, sprints, etc. These high-intensity workouts will boost your testosterone levels.
9. Do not overtrain
Going too hard can destroy your testosterone levels for several days, so do not overdo it.
10. Control your stress
Learn some stress management techniques, or simply sign up to boxing classes for managing your anxiety. Being balanced both physically and mentally will help you train better.
11. Sleep about 7 to 9 hours per day
You need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep per day to recover from your days. While you sleep, hormones are released and your mind resets.
You may want to look at some boxing training myths too and if you have comments or questions, leave them below!
