• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Generation Iron

Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network

  • Movies
  • Original Content
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Pre-Workout
      • Fat Burners
      • Testosterone Boosters
      • Creatine
      • Protein
      • BCAAs
      • Multivitamins
      • Omega-3
      • Joint Supplements
      • Super Greens
      • Meal Replacement
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Foam Rollers
      • Best Massage Guns
    • Programs
      • Best Online Workout Programs
      • Best Workout Streaming Services
      • Best Home Workout Programs
  • Equipment
    • Cardio
      • Treadmills
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Stair Climbers
    • Fitness Accessories
      • Best Apparel
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Weightlifting Shoes
    • Strength
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weightlifting Belts
      • Best Home Gym Equipment
      • Complete Home Gyms
    • Training
      • Best Knee Sleeves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
      • Best Weightlifting Wraps
      • Best Weightlifting Gloves
  • More
    • About Us
      • Our Team
      • Our Experts
    • Advertise
    • Franchise With Us
    • Exercise Guides
    • Athlete Profiles
    • Podcasts
    • Power 30
    • Bodybuilding Awards
    • Supplement Awards
  • Shop
Bodybuilding

5 Ways of Boosting Your Testosterone Levels While Working Out

by Vidur Saini Updated by Dylan Wolf on May 1, 2023

how to increase androgen receptors
This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure policy).

Boost Your Testosterone Levels While Training

Testosterone is the primary male hormone responsible for the development of the reproductive tissues and is an anabolic steroid. Testosterone is the sex hormone which plays a key role in promoting secondary sexual characteristics in men such as increased muscle and bone mass, and the growth of body hair.

A lack of testosterone can be the leading cause for the inability to gain muscle mass in men. Women can’t develop muscle mass like their male counterparts because of the lack of testosterone production in their bodies. If you’ve hit a plateau, boosting your test levels can help you achieve new gains.

Make the Time in The Gym Count

Many people spend longer in the gym than they should. If your goal is to build muscle while boosting your test levels, you should aim for keeping the intensity of your workouts high. Spending more time in the gym after a certain duration can be counterproductive.

Performing high-intensity workouts for a longer duration can spike your cortisol levels which can make your body enter the catabolic (muscle losing) state. Keep your workout intensity high and spend no more than 1-1.5 hours in the gym.

Limit Your Rest Time Between Sets

Taking a structured approach to setting your rest time between sets can improve your results. A one-minute rest period between sets can be way more effective than a three-minute break where you reply to texts and scroll through your Instagram feed.

Recent research shows that 90-120 second of rest between sets is optimal for boosting testosterone and lowering cortisol levels (1). You can opt for a 60-90 second rest time during isolation exercises and a 90-120 second rest while doing compound exercises like squats and deadlifts.

Perform Compound Exercises

While isolation exercises are great for building muscle definition, compound (multi-joint) exercises like the squat, deadlifts and bench press are what helps with building muscle mass and can naturally boost your testosterone levels.

Whenever you have an option, chose the free-weight exercises over machines as they recruit multiple joints and can boost testosterone production. Challenge yourself in the gym by performing difficult and heavy lifts.

Hit Failure

Most people in the gym have the wrong notion of overtraining. People leave gains on the table by not pushing their limits for the fear of overtraining. Surprising your muscles by hitting failure every once in a while can spark new growth in your muscles and will ignite new test production.

When you target failure, you’re by default increasing the intensity of your workouts which is linked to higher testosterone production. You can use advanced training techniques like supersets, drop sets, BFR training to push past failure and shock your muscles into growing.

Supplement

Just like what you eat and how you train, supplements too can affect your t-levels. Test-boosting supplements work by correcting nutrient deficiencies that harm testosterone production.

Majority of quality t-boosting supplements contains zinc (support overall test levels), Vitamin D (supports male reproductive function), fenugreek extract (support bioavailable testosterone within the body), longjack (support a healthy testosterone-to-estrogen balance in older men), etc. These supplements can also improve sleep and reduce stress, both of which can impact testosterone levels.


What do you do to boost your testosterone levels? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

References

  1. Rahimi, R.; et al. (2011). “Effects of very short rest periods on testosterone to cortisol ratio during heavy resistance exercise in men”. (source)

About Vidur Saini

Vidur is a fitness junky who likes staying up to date with the fitness industry and loves publishing his opinions for everyone to see.

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Get the Latest

Stay informed with the latest news, product reviews, & expert advice.

Popular Reviews

  • best protein powders

    The Best Protein Powder Supplements of 2025 (Tried and Tested)

  • Best Creatine Supplements For Bulking & Muscle Growth of 2025 (Personally Tested)

  • top x pre workout

    The 14 Best Pre-Workout Supplements of 2025 (MD Reviewed)

  • Performance Lab SPORT BCAA

    The Best BCAA For Bodybuilding Health & Performance Goals

Trending Articles

  • female fitness models

    18 Best Butts On The Internet (Updated 2024)

  • ronnie coleman the king workout

    Ronnie “The King” Coleman’s Complete Bodybuilding Workout

  • The Ultimate Mike Mentzer Workout and Diet

  • Chris bumstead's 2024 workout and diet plan

    Chris Bumstead’s 2025 Complete Bodybuilding Workout & Diet Plan

Popular Now

  • best protein powders

    The Best Protein Powder Supplements of 2025 (Tried and Tested)

  • Best Creatine Supplements For Bulking & Muscle Growth of 2025 (Personally Tested)

  • top x pre workout

    The 14 Best Pre-Workout Supplements of 2025 (MD Reviewed)

  • female fitness models

    18 Best Butts On The Internet (Updated 2024)

  • best citrulline supplements

    The Best Citrulline Malate Supplements for Performance and Pump

  • ronnie coleman the king workout

    Ronnie “The King” Coleman’s Complete Bodybuilding Workout

Generation Iron

Generation Iron is the first and only digital network delivering health, fitness, bodybuilding, and strength sports content. We deliver premium content with the biggest names in fitness and provide expert coverage, reviews on top brands, workout tips and trends in the worlds of fitness, health and strength sports.

Strongman Corporation
Vladar

Sections

  • Trending News
  • Original Movies
  • Original Content
  • Supplement Reviews
  • Equipment Reviews
  • Exercise Guides
  • Nutrition Guides
  • Athlete Profiles

More

  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Our Experts
  • Advertise
  • Franchise With Us
  • Podcasts
  • Power 30
  • Shop

CONTACT

Generation Iron Brands LLC
134 West 29th Street Suite 902
New York, NY 10001
Email: [email protected]

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X / Twitter
  • YouTube

© 2025 · Generation Iron · Disclaimers · Privacy Policy · Accessibility