Hormonal effects of training

These notes combine advice from 18 reviewed passages across 15 workouts.

Overview

Coach’s claim

Training changes hormone levels, and the main effects center on testosterone, growth hormone, and endorphins. Testosterone is tied to strength development, and the strongest training stimulus for it is leg work. Growth hormone also responds to leg training and to heavy pulls from the legs. Endorphins appear during hard or prolonged effort and can change how the training feels. [1] [4] [8] [10] [13] [14]

Coach’s claim

Stretching can shift the balance between testosterone and estrogen, and muscle mass can affect how easily a person stretches. [2] [7] [11]

Testosterone and strength

Coach’s claim

Higher testosterone is linked to faster strength development, and testosterone rises as strength and muscle increase. Higher testosterone is associated with hair loss. The hormone is described as the male hormone and as beneficial for the body. [1] [6]

Leg training and hormones

Coach’s claim

Leg training increases testosterone, in part because the legs carry a large amount of muscle mass. It raises testosterone to the highest level of any training, and large, strong legs that are trained regularly keep testosterone high, which supports training other body regions. Regular leg training also helps keep testosterone levels higher. [3] [13] [17]

Coach’s claim

Leg training triggers substantial growth-hormone secretion, and growth hormone is described as healthy. [8] [18]

Do not skip leg training. Include leg training so the body stays in proportion. [8] [17]

Deadlifts and hormones

Coach’s claim

Deadlifting stimulates growth hormone and testosterone because the pull comes from the legs. Training the Romanian deadlift produces a large testosterone release. A properly proportioned deadlift is highly useful and is commonly used in growth-hormone, testosterone, and jumping training. [14] [15] [16]

Programming with hormonal effects

Do loaded squats before bench pressing; with a bar or weight, you will lift more afterward. Two sets are enough for this effect. [9]

Coach’s claim

Loaded squats release testosterone and increase energy. Movements that build jumping power also increase explosive energy and strength-related hormones. [9] [12]

Stretching and hormone balance

Coach’s claim

Stretching can inhibit testosterone secretion, and estrogen then takes over. Stretching also stimulates estrogen release and can partly counterbalance testosterone-related effects. [2] [7]

Coach’s claim

Do not neglect stretching. [7]

Coach’s claim

Higher testosterone and more muscle mass make stretching harder. People with less muscle mass stretch more easily. [11]

Endorphins and training experience

Coach’s claim

Readiness can change sharply around a workout. You may feel explosively good before training and then flat once you start, or you may enter a workout extremely tired and still get an endorphin surge that brings a burst of energy. [4]

When you are extremely tired, keep pushing through the work. [5]

Coach’s claim

Continuing to push through extreme fatigue is followed by endorphin release. After about half an hour of exercise, an endorphin release can make movements that once seemed hard feel easy. [5] [10]

Coach’s experience

In his own training, he keeps leg work moderate, partly because leg training triggers a strong growth-hormone response. [8]

Sources

1. 2024-01-11, 3142.4-3156.0s

Workout: workout:2024-01-11

Passage: passage:2024-01-11:001282-001286

2. 2024-01-22, 177.7-186.2s

Workout: workout:2024-01-22

Passage: passage:2024-01-22:000064-000067

3. 2024-01-25, 1589.5-1597.8s

Workout: workout:2024-01-25

Passage: passage:2024-01-25:000453-000455

4. 2024-02-16, 4512.9-4529.2s

Workout: workout:2024-02-16

Passage: passage:2024-02-16:001517-001521

5. 2024-02-16, 4530.9-4541.7s

Workout: workout:2024-02-16

Passage: passage:2024-02-16:001522-001525

6. 2024-03-04, 5065.8-5088.8s

Workout: workout:2024-03-04

Passage: passage:2024-03-04:001753-001757

7. 2024-03-04, 5091.8-5101.2s

Workout: workout:2024-03-04

Passage: passage:2024-03-04:001760-001763

8. 2024-04-28, 3211.5-3230.8s

Workout: workout:2024-04-28

Passage: passage:2024-04-28:001172-001177

9. 2024-05-02, 2152.6-2188.8s

Workout: workout:2024-05-02

Passage: passage:2024-05-02:000569-000572

10. 2024-06-06, 2338.5-2353.8s

Workout: workout:2024-06-06

Passage: passage:2024-06-06:000659-000660

11. 2024-10-06, 4512.7-4521.4s

Workout: workout:2024-10-06

Passage: passage:2024-10-06:001482-001484

12. 2024-11-13, 1380.9-1386.5s

Workout: workout:2024-11-13

Passage: passage:2024-11-13:000477-000478

13. 2025-01-07, 763.7-785.6s

Workout: workout:2025-01-07

Passage: passage:2025-01-07:000273-000280

14. 2025-02-27, 775.7-789.8s

Workout: workout:2025-02-27

Passage: passage:2025-02-27:000239-000243

15. 2025-03-11, 3102.8-3110.9s

Workout: workout:2025-03-11-lift-and-flex-1

Passage: passage:2025-03-11-lift-and-flex-1:001183-001186

16. 2025-03-11, 4916.1-4924.1s

Workout: workout:2025-03-11-lift-and-flex-1

Passage: passage:2025-03-11-lift-and-flex-1:001861-001862

17. 2025-07-20, 3600.3-3607.3s

Workout: workout:2025-07-20

Passage: passage:2025-07-20:000856-000859

18. 2026-03-07, 4282.7-4284.3s

Workout: workout:2026-03-07

Passage: passage:2026-03-07:001262-001262