Squats and Testosterone Production

We have all heard the saying ‘ass to grass‘ when performing the squat, no one wants to perform a shallow squat and look like a novice in the gym. More importantly what you are really after is getting jacked, having the right technique is a solid platform because:

• It increases large muscle group recruitment – Grows your glutes, quads and hamstrings
• It boosts your testosterone to the next level – Faster recovery, growth and strength gains

This causes an anabolic (muscle building) hormonal surge throughout the whole body. However poor squatting technique can limit the overall result.

This short guide will teach you the basics of the squat, and how to get those thick strong legs while also ramping up your testosterone levels.

Here are the classic problems most guys experience while squatting and the best ways to solve them quickly.

1) The back

Let’s begin by discussing the lower back, it is within this region that the nerves are located which control your lower extremities. This region of your spine should have a natural soft ‘S’ shape while squatting. Over, or under-arching here could:

• Put unwanted pressure on the nervous system
• Interfere with the nervous signalling to the lower extremities

Consequently this may have a negative impact on the proper function of the lower extremities; especially when squatting. This is caused by your nervous system not operating to its full potential or capacity. Also bear in mind that this could be further compounded by an abnormal spread of weight within this region via:

• Additional absorption from  the stress of lifting
• Additional weight bearing of the body and lifting.

A quick remedy:

Strengthen your core and lower back muscles by:

• Performing any exercise that stabilize your back, engages your deeper core and works the limbs such as bird dogs, floor swimming, hip bridges and pelvic tilting
• Perform lower back stretches such as the cobra and happy/angry cat poses

2) The hip region

For the vast majority a simple tweak in terms of the flexibility of the hip flexors can help you tremendously. In today’s modern society sitting down is the norm, especially when working.

This has an adverse effect on your muscles in the hip region by:

• shortening the hip flexors and lengthening the hip extensors.

Unfortunately this scenario can inhibit lowering your butt to the ground when executing the squat.

A quick remedy:

Have a look at your toe alignment, if they are pointing slightly outwards, then this may be a sign of problems within your pelvic musculature. You should:

• Perform daily hip flexor and extensor stretches
• Use foam roller to elongate the muscles within the hip region.

3) The knees

Having the right knee alignment does help you to keep your proper  form whilst squatting; thus preventing any further pressure on the joint and subsequent injuries. The issues arise in your knee from:

• The under activation of the vastus medialis muscle (the inner quad muscle) 
• The over activation of the tensor fascia latae muscle (the muscle attached to the IT band).

This sequence of muscle activation can lead to knee pain, as this pulls the joint outwards and will buckle under pressure when squatting. Observe the following:

• If your knee cap moves outwards when you contract your quad, then you may have an under activation  vastus medialis muscle.

• If just above your knee and the outside of the knee is tender, you may have issues with your tensor fascia latae muscle and/or IT band.

A quick remedy:

• Perform one leg weighted step ups  to strengthen your vastus medialis muscle
• Foam roll your IT band and tensor fascia latae muscle.

How to perform a back barbell squat properly?

The set up:

1. The squat is best performed within a squat rack for safety purposes
2. Set the barbell so that it is just above your shoulder height
3. Load the bar with weight, step under the bar and place it right at base of your neck
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to create a pillow for the barbell to sit on
5. Your hands should be in a wide position and grip the barbell tightly

Unracking the barbell:

1. Begin with your feet under the barbell with toes pointing out slightly
2. Your stance should be shoulder width apart
3. Your heels should be under your shoulders
4. Keep your chest out and elbow down
5. Take a deep breath and hold it
6. Fix your eyes on a horizontal point
7. Sit back as you squat down with the barbell, with your body weight over your mid-foot to heel
8. Move your body so that your knees are less than 90 degrees
9. Lower your hips so that they are below your knees
10. Squeeze your glutes together when in the ‘hole’
11. Begin to raise the barbell explosively by pushing the ground through your heels
12. Straighten your legs and extend the hips to go back start to the starting position. 

Squats Boost Testosterone Conclusion

The back, hip and knees can play a pivotal role in your success rate when performing a deeper squat. The connection between squats and testosterone production is all about the depth that you get on the squat, the more testosterone will be secreted throughout the body via a higher amount of muscle fiber recruitment in the glutes and hamstrings.

Always make sure you have good form, and never compromise range of motion for a heavier weight. The only benefit this will have is on your ego.

Get even more out of your lifts

If you want to see even stronger lifts, and command even more from your testosterone levels, you need to try TestoFuel.

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