My Quick Testosterone-Boosting Leg Workout (as a busy dad in his 40s)

📚 Read time: 4 minutes

Coming up: protein, power, presses, the unspoken side of being 35+, a supplement I’ll never stop taking, why you need less exercise than you think, and a quick but challenging leg workout that hits all my muscles.

💡 3 thoughts for you:

You’re very busy.
I’m also very busy.
And when you’re in your 40s, you’re always very busy.

… so, I can see your logic:

If you’re gonna skip any workout, it should probably be leg day (cos, let’s be honest; you can’t be bothered for the dread-inducing leg day even when you do have time).

✅ Right?
❌ Wrong.

💪 Interestingly, leg day can actually give your testosterone a boost—especially if you do it properly. Best of all, you can get that boost (and hit all your major muscles) in only 30 minutes… and with only three exercises.

Here’s more:

A (very) quick detour: me and my testosterone

I’m Rob: entrepreneur, father of 2, cofounder of Sentro Labs (along with my wife!), and a very busy man.

Most importantly, in relation to this blog post, I’m in my 40s…

… which means my testosterone has started decreasing.

And, bad news: so has yours (probably).

❓ Why?
🚨 Because:

From the age of 35+, male testosterone levels begin to decrease by around 1-2% per year. Not great—especially if you want to keep your muscle, feel mentally and physically on-form, and hold onto your sex drive.

But, it’s not all bad news: testosterone levels are partially in your control (even if you are getting older):

🦵 According to some experts and some studies, high-intensity leg work (with heavy or reasonably-heavy weight) can temporarily increase your testosterone.

My testosterone-boosting 4-exercise leg workout:

The workout has 4 stages, and 3 main exercises:

Warm-up: 5 minutes of moderately-fast treadmill walking. Alternatively, you can do some lightweight lunges, or some basic mobility work.
Kettlebell swings: 3 sets. Each set should be around 20 seconds; each rest period should be 60 seconds.
Bench split squats: 3 sets on each leg (so, 6 sets total). Each set should be around 10 reps; each rest period should be 60 seconds.
Leg press*: 3 sets. Each set should be around 10 reps; each rest period should be 60 seconds.

(*note: you might want to replace the leg press with leg extensions. These are easier on your back, they work your thigh muscles in a different way, and they aren’t so mentally or physically demanding. Your choice!).

Top tip: on exercises 3 + 4, go to failure or close to failure. I’m not a personal trainer, but I’ve always made the most progress (in terms of strength AND muscle growth) when I’m close to my limit.

Why the workout is structured this way (and how it can boost your testosterone)

It only takes 30 minutes: you have other things to do, like work, sleeping, taking care of your kids, and occasionally trying to relax. You don’t want to spend 90 minutes in the gym.
Because you’re typically doing sets of 10, the weight will be heavy: and at this rep range, you’re more likely to get a testosterone boost. Also: the 10-rep range is great for building muscle—and the more muscle you have, the higher your chances of better testosterone.
The structure of the workout (short bursts of work with high intensity) makes this similar to HIIT training (‘high intensity interval training’): and HIIT training has been shown to boost testosterone.
You’re hitting all your major leg muscles: including glutes, quads, and hamstrings. To add some calf work, do 3 sets of standing calf raises or 3 sets of seated calf raises.
It’s a short workout: so your body won’t be too stressed, and you can recover fairly easily. This means you’re less likely to skip future workouts, and keeps your cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) relatively low. And lower cortisol = higher testosterone.
Crucially, the session doesn’t include much endurance work: doing too much endurance work can actually lower your testosterone.

(A quick tip: with these exercises, prioritise form over weight. If you get injured, it’ll be a while before you’re back in the gym. So, if you aren’t sure how to do the exercises, head to our short Instagram post, or ask a personal trainer)

Other ways I’ve boosted my testosterone

I can’t guarantee these will work for you, but they’ve definitely worked for me:

Eating better: I eat more whole grains, I’ve upped my fruit and veg intake, and increased my protein. Specific foods I prioritize include onions, ginger, fatty fish, and leafy green vegetables.
Keeping track of my body fat: there’s a strong link between being leaner, and having higher testosterone.
I’ve reduced my drinking: in both the short-term and the long-term, alcohol can have very negative effects on testosterone… for many reasons.
I control my sleep and stress: I drink less caffeine, I try to get 7 hours sleep a night, I’ve made my bedroom darker, I sleep and wake at the same times every day, and I take the EQUILIBRIUM stress & sleep complex.
I also take PERFORMANCE. Featuring Vitamin D, Maca Root, Zinc, Selenium, Fenugreek, L-Arginine, and Carnitine, it’s helped improve my testosterone… which has in turn increased my sex drive, muscle mass, strength, energy, and mood.

For much more detail, here’s everything I’ve done to boost my testosterone. Spoiler alert: expect tips on sunlight, supplementation, and knowing why less is often more.