Why Leg Exercises May Boost Testosterone in Both Men and Women - Body of Harmony

Why Leg Exercises May Boost Testosterone in Both Men and Women

by: Payam Hakimi
August 2026
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When people think about testosterone, they often think about men. But testosterone is an important hormone in both men and women, and exercise can influence its production and release.

One of the most interesting ways to stimulate a short-term hormonal response is through resistance training—particularly exercises that involve the large muscles of the legs.

Why the Legs Matter

Your legs contain some of the largest muscle groups in the body. Exercises such as:

Squats
Deadlifts
Lunges
Leg presses
Bulgarian split squats
Step-ups

can recruit a tremendous amount of muscle at once.

When you challenge large muscle groups with resistance training, your body responds to that physical demand by releasing a number of hormones, including testosterone and growth hormone.

And this response isn't limited to men.

Yes, Women Can Experience a Testosterone Increase Too

Women naturally produce testosterone, although at considerably lower levels than men. Testosterone plays important roles in women, including supporting:

Muscle strength and development
Bone health
Energy and vitality
Sexual desire
Exercise performance
Maintenance of lean body mass

Research has demonstrated that resistance exercise can produce an acute, temporary increase in testosterone in women as well as men.

The important distinction is that we're talking about a short-term hormonal response.

After a challenging workout, testosterone may rise for a period of time and then return toward its normal level. This doesn't necessarily mean that regular leg training will permanently elevate someone's resting testosterone level.

Does Heavier Training Create a Bigger Response?

Generally, exercises that involve more muscle mass and greater training intensity tend to create a stronger acute hormonal response.

A workout incorporating multiple sets of challenging compound movements—particularly exercises involving the lower body—can provide a significant stimulus.

For example, instead of only performing isolated exercises such as leg extensions, consider building your workout around movements like squats, lunges, and deadlifts.

The goal isn't simply to exercise the legs. The goal is to challenge the body.

What About Long-Term Testosterone?

This is where it's important to distinguish between an acute testosterone response and your baseline testosterone level.

A temporary increase following exercise does not necessarily translate into chronically higher testosterone levels.

However, consistent resistance training can improve many of the factors associated with healthy hormone function, including:

Increased muscle mass
Improved body composition
Better insulin sensitivity
Improved metabolic health
Greater physical fitness
Improved bone strength

In other words, you don't need to chase a testosterone spike after every workout to benefit hormonally from strength training.

Men and Women Can Both Benefit

The idea that testosterone is "a man's hormone" is outdated.

Both men and women require testosterone. The difference is largely one of quantity and physiological context, not whether the hormone matters.

For men, resistance exercise can contribute to a healthy hormonal environment and support muscle development and performance.

For women, strength training can support muscle preservation, bone health, metabolic function, and physical performance while also producing a temporary increase in testosterone.

And no—this doesn't mean that women who lift heavy weights will suddenly develop male levels of testosterone or become overly muscular.

The Bigger Picture

If you're looking to optimize your health and hormone function, don't overlook the largest muscles in your body.

Train your legs. Challenge your muscles. Build strength.

A well-designed resistance-training program can be one of the most powerful tools for improving body composition, metabolic health, strength, and overall vitality.

And the next time someone tells you that testosterone is only relevant to men, remember:

Both men and women have testosterone—and both can experience a testosterone response to exercise.

As with any exercise program, training should be appropriate for your age, fitness level, and health status. Individuals with medical conditions or significant hormonal symptoms should discuss their exercise and hormone concerns with a qualified healthcare professional.

4-Week Leg-Day Hypertrophy Plan: Hormone-Response-Informed Compound Training

Important Framing: What "Hormonal Response" Means Here

This plan is built around training variables (large-muscle-mass compound lifts, moderate-to-high loads, high total volume, and short-to-moderate rest intervals) that the literature consistently shows produce larger acute elevations in testosterone, growth hormone, and metabolic markers like lactate and IL-6. These acute hormonal responses are a well-documented marker of metabolic stress and training stimulus.

However, it is important to be honest about what the science does and does not support:

Acute post-exercise spikes in testosterone, GH, and IGF-1 do not reliably predict long-term hypertrophy or strength gains. IGF-1 responses in particular are highly variable and inconsistent across studies. Multiple studies from the Phillips group and others have found that elevating endogenous hormones systemically does not enhance muscle growth, and that acute post-exercise hormonal changes are unrelated to hypertrophic gains in trained individuals (Holwerda et al., 2010; West & Phillips, 2011; Baechler et al., 2016; Soares et al., 2022; D'Souza et al., 2024).
The acute hormonal response is better understood as a signal of sufficient training stress (metabolic, mechanical, and volume-driven) rather than the direct mechanism driving growth. Mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage remain the primary hypothesized drivers of hypertrophy, with local (intramuscular) signaling likely mattering more than systemic hormone pulses.

Bottom line: The protocols below use the variables most strongly associated with peak acute hormonal responses because they also represent a high-quality hypertrophy stimulus — large compound movements, adequate volume, and appropriate proximity to failure. Do not interpret "hormone-response-informed" as a guarantee that chasing hormone spikes alone will produce superior gains.

Assumptions

You are a healthy adult with prior resistance-training experience (comfortable with barbell squats, deadlifts, and lunges with good technique).
You are training legs twice per week (e.g., Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Saturday), allowing ~72 hours between sessions.
You have access to a barbell, plates, a squat rack, dumbbells, and basic machines (leg press, leg curl, calf raise).
No current injuries, pregnancy, unmanaged hypertension, pelvic floor dysfunction, or medical restrictions. If any of these apply, consult a qualified clinician or coach before beginning.
1-RM values are estimated from submaximal top sets using the Epley equation, not tested with true max attempts each week. True 1-RM testing is reserved for Week 1 (baseline, optional) and Week 4 (post-test).

Training Principles (Evidence Base)

1. Large muscle-mass compound lifts produce the largest acute endocrine responses

Exercises engaging large muscle masses (squats, deadlifts, leg press) produce greater acute hormonal and metabolic responses than small-muscle or isolation work. A 2024 study found that lower-body resistance exercise (leg press) produced greater IL-6 and cortisol responses than upper-body (bench press) when performed to volitional failure, attributing this to the greater muscle mass engaged (Zając et al., 2024). The choice and order of exercises meaningfully affects the hormonal response (Bickerstaff et al., 2013).

2. Hypertrophy-zone loading (≈70–80% 1-RM, 8–12 reps, multiple sets) maximizes the acute response

A study comparing power (7×6 at 50% 1-RM), maximal-strength (7×3 at 3-RM), and hypertrophic (5×10 at 10-RM) squat protocols found that the hypertrophic loading produced the largest acute growth hormone, testosterone, and cortisol responses alongside the highest blood lactate (Peltonen et al., 2022). This is consistent with decades of research showing that moderate-load, moderate-rep, multi-set protocols produce the greatest metabolic and endocrine acute response.

3. Short-to-moderate rest intervals (60–120 seconds) augment the acute hormonal response

A volume-load-equated study found that hypertrophic protocols (3×10 at 70% 1-RM) with 60-second rest intervals produced a 22.5% acute increase in total testosterone (PRE to POST, p < 0.01), with the 90-second variant also significant (20.7% increase, p < 0.01). Both hypertrophic protocols produced greater acute testosterone responses than strength protocols (8×3 at 85% 1-RM), and shorter rests augmented the response (Villanueva et al., 2012).

However, very short rests reduce total volume completed. A study of squat bouts found that 5-minute rests produced the highest total volume, with significant differences between 1-, 2-, and 5-minute conditions (Rahimi, 2005). The plan therefore uses a tiered approach: longer rests (90–150 s) for primary compound lifts to preserve load quality, and shorter rests (60–90 s) for accessories to maximize metabolic stress.

4. Total volume and proximity to failure matter

High-volume protocols produce greater acute endocrine and metabolic responses than high-intensity (low-rep) protocols, even when signaling pathways like mTORC1 are similarly activated (Wells et al., 2015). Training volume is a key adaptive stimulus for both strength and body composition changes (Crewther et al., 2016).

The 4-Week Plan

Two leg sessions per week:

Day A — Squat Emphasis (quad/anterior-chain dominant)
Day B — Hinge Emphasis (posterior-chain dominant, deadlift variation)

Warm-up (both days, every session)

5 min easy cycling or rowing (RPE 3–4)
Dynamic mobility: leg swings (10/leg), world's greatest stretch (5/side), glute bridges (15 reps), bodyweight lunges (8/leg)
2–3 warm-up sets of the first compound lift, ramping to working weight (e.g., 50% × 5, 70% × 3, 85% × 1)

Week 1 — Baseline / Accumulation

Goal: Establish working loads, accumulate volume, RPE 7–8 (2–3 RIR on top sets).

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Intensity	Rest
Day A — Squat Emphasis
Barbell back squat	4	8	70–75% 1-RM (RPE 7–8)	120 s
Romanian deadlift (RDL)	3	10	RPE 7 (moderate)	90 s
Walking lunges (dumbbell)	3	10/leg	RPE 7	90 s
Leg press	3	12	RPE 7–8	90 s
Standing calf raise	3	15	RPE 7	60 s
Plank hold	3	30–45 s	—	60 s
Day B — Hinge Emphasis
Conventional or sumo deadlift	4	6	75–80% 1-RM (RPE 7–8)	150 s
Front squat or goblet squat	3	10	RPE 7	90 s
Bulgarian split squat (dumbbell)	3	8/leg	RPE 7–8	90 s
Lying leg curl (hamstring)	3	12	RPE 7–8	60 s
Seated calf raise	3	15	RPE 7	60 s
Hanging leg raise	3	10–12	—	60 s

Week 2 — Volume Increase

Goal: Increase total volume ~10–15%, RPE 8 (1–2 RIR on top sets).

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Intensity	Rest
Day A — Squat Emphasis
Barbell back squat	5	8	72–77% 1-RM (RPE 8)	120 s
RDL	4	10	RPE 7–8	90 s
Walking lunges (dumbbell)	3	12/leg	RPE 7–8	90 s
Leg press	3	12	RPE 8	90 s
Standing calf raise	3	15	RPE 8	60 s
Plank hold	3	45–60 s	—	60 s
Day B — Hinge Emphasis
Conventional or sumo deadlift	4	6	77–82% 1-RM (RPE 8)	150 s
Front squat or goblet squat	4	10	RPE 7–8	90 s
Bulgarian split squat (dumbbell)	3	10/leg	RPE 8	90 s
Lying leg curl (hamstring)	4	12	RPE 8	60 s
Seated calf raise	3	15	RPE 8	60 s
Hanging leg raise	3	12	—	60 s

Week 3 — Peak Stimulus / Intensification

Goal: Highest training stress of the block. RPE 8–9. Final accessory sets taken to 0–1 RIR (near failure) to maximize metabolic stress. This is the hormone-emphasis week — the protocol most closely matching the literature's peak acute response conditions (5×10 at 10-RM with short rests, per Peltonen et al., 2022; 3×10 at 70% 1-RM with 60–90 s rest, per Villanueva et al., 2012).

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Intensity	Rest
Day A — Squat Emphasis
Barbell back squat	5	10	70–75% 1-RM (RPE 8–9)	90 s
RDL	4	10	RPE 8–9	60 s
Walking lunges (dumbbell)	3	12/leg	RPE 8 (last set to 1 RIR)	60 s
Leg press	4	12	RPE 8–9 (last set to 0–1 RIR)	60 s
Standing calf raise	3	15	RPE 8–9	60 s
Plank hold	3	60 s	—	60 s
Day B — Hinge Emphasis
Romanian deadlift (heavy)	5	8	RPE 8–9 (exercise-specific; see note)	90 s
Front squat	4	10	RPE 8–9	60 s
Bulgarian split squat (dumbbell)	3	10/leg	RPE 8–9 (last set to 1 RIR)	60 s
Lying leg curl (hamstring)	4	12	RPE 9 (last set to 0 RIR)	60 s
Seated calf raise	3	15	RPE 9	60 s
Hanging leg raise	3	12–15	—	60 s

Note on Week 3: Rest intervals on accessories drop to 60 s to maximize metabolic stress and the acute hormonal response, consistent with the protocols shown to produce the largest acute testosterone elevations (Villanueva et al., 2012). Primary compounds retain 90 s to preserve load quality and safety. For the heavy RDL, use an exercise-specific estimated 1-RM; if none is known, start at a conservative load guided by RPE 8–9 rather than basing the percentage directly on your conventional deadlift 1-RM. Reduce load set-to-set as needed to stay within target RPE — do not force the same weight across all 5 sets if technique degrades.

Week 4 — Deload / Recovery

Goal: Reduce volume 40–50% while maintaining intensity (load). Focus on technique, recovery, and preparation for post-testing. This allows recovery from the accumulated fatigue of Week 3 and supports long-term adaptation.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Intensity	Rest
Day A — Squat Emphasis
Barbell back squat	3	5	75–80% 1-RM (RPE 7)	120 s
RDL	2	8	RPE 6–7	90 s
Walking lunges (bodyweight or light DB)	2	10/leg	RPE 6	90 s
Leg press	2	10	RPE 7	90 s
Standing calf raise	2	12	RPE 7	60 s
Plank hold	2	45 s	—	60 s
Day B — Hinge Emphasis
Conventional or sumo deadlift	3	3	80–85% 1-RM (RPE 7)	150 s
Front squat or goblet squat	2	8	RPE 6–7	90 s
Bulgarian split squat (light)	2	8/leg	RPE 6	90 s
Lying leg curl	2	10	RPE 7	60 s
Seated calf raise	2	12	RPE 7	60 s
Hanging leg raise	2	10	—	60 s

Post-test: At the end of Week 4 (after 1–2 rest days), perform a 1-RM or 3-RM test on squat and deadlift to measure strength changes. Estimate 1-RM from 3-RM using Epley: 1-RM = Weight × (1 + 0.0333 × Reps).

Intensity Protocols Summary

Load and Repetition Targets

Training goal	Load (% 1-RM)	Rep range	Sets (per exercise)	RIR (top sets)
Hypertrophy / hormone emphasis	70–80%	8–12	3–5	0–3
Strength (compound focus)	75–85%	5–8	4–5	1–3
Metabolic stress finishers	60–70%	12–15+	2–4	0–1

Rest Interval Guidelines

Exercise type	Rest between sets	Rationale
Primary compound (squat, deadlift)	90–150 s	Preserve load quality and safety; longer rests yield higher total volume (Rahimi, 2005)
Secondary compound (RDL, front squat, lunges)	60–90 s	Balance metabolic stress with technique
Isolation / accessories (leg curl, calf raise)	60 s	Maximize acute hormonal response; 60 s rest with 3×10 at 70% 1-RM produced the largest acute testosterone increase (+22.5%) (Villanueva et al., 2012)

RPE / RIR Scale (use for autoregulation)

RPE	RIR (reps in reserve)	Meaning
6	4	Moderate effort, could do 4 more reps
7	3	Challenging but manageable
8	2	Hard, 2 reps left
9	1	Very hard, 1 rep left
10	0	Maximal effort, no reps left

Progression Rules

Progressive overload: Each week, aim to increase either load (2.5–5 lb / 1–2.5 kg) or reps (1–2 per set) on primary compound lifts from the previous week, provided RPE targets are met.
Volume progression: Week 1 → Week 2 increases total sets by ~1 set per exercise. Week 3 is the peak. Week 4 reduces volume 40–50%.
Autoregulate by RPE: If your top set feels 2+ RPE harder than target (e.g., target RPE 8 but it feels like RPE 10), reduce the load by 5% for the remaining sets. Do not force prescribed loads at the expense of technique.
Failure is a tool, not a default: Only the final set of accessories in Week 3 should approach 0–1 RIR. Taking every set to failure increases fatigue and reduces total volume without proportionally greater hypertrophy stimulus.
Estimate 1-RM, don't max-test weekly: Use the Epley equation on your heaviest top set each week:
- Epley: 1-RM = Weight × (1 + 0.0333 × Reps completed)
- Brzycki: 1-RM = Weight × (36 / (37 − Reps))
- Use a set of 3–8 reps for the most accurate estimate. Record both the weight and reps in the tracking template.

Male vs. Female Physiology: Adjustment Guidelines

Key evidence

A 10-week combined strength and endurance training study found similar relative changes in 1-RM, body composition, and serum hormones in women and men, with all women tested in the early follicular phase to standardize (Kyröläinen et al., 2020). This suggests that, at the population level, both sexes can adapt similarly to resistance training.
Menstrual cycle phase and performance: The best current evidence indicates that menstrual cycle phase has a trivial effect on acute strength performance and does not significantly influence adaptations to resistance exercise training. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 78 studies found trivial effects for both endurance- and strength-based outcomes (McNulty et al., 2020), and a subsequent review concluded there is "no influence of women's menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or adaptations to resistance exercise training" (D'Souza et al., 2023). One meta-analysis found small-to-medium effects favoring the late follicular phase for isometric maximal strength, but these are inconsistent and should not drive rigid phase-based programming (Coldewey et al., 2024). Recent expert commentary cautions against social-media-driven menstrual cycle phase-based training prescriptions (Minahan, 2025).
Recovery differences: One study of resistance-trained men and women found that women experienced a more pronounced loss and prolonged recovery of neuromuscular function (CMJ height, concentric knee-extensor strength) following an 80% 1-RM, 5×5 squat protocol, with decrements persisting at 48–72 hours while men recovered sooner. Women also reported greater acute muscle pain at +4 hours, though baseline creatine kinase was lower in women (Carson et al., 2018). Note: this is a single study and the broader literature on sex-based recovery is mixed; individual variation is substantial.

Practical adjustment guidelines

For all trainees (sex-independent):

Autoregulate primarily by recovery markers (soreness, sleep quality, session RPE, performance on top sets), not by rigid sex-based rules. Individual variation often exceeds sex-based averages.
The base program above is appropriate for both sexes. Adjustments below are starting considerations, not prescriptions.

Male-specific starting considerations:

Higher absolute loads are typically manageable; progress load conservatively (2.5–5 lb / week on squats/deadlifts).
Rest intervals as prescribed (90–150 s compounds, 60–90 s accessories) are appropriate.
Monitor for signs of overreaching: if session RPE climbs >1 point above target for two consecutive sessions, reduce volume 1 set per exercise.
The same %1-RM and RPE framework applies to both sexes; adjust based on individual recovery and performance markers rather than assuming sex-specific load prescriptions.

Female-specific starting considerations:

Based on the Carson et al. (2018) finding of prolonged neuromuscular recovery in women following an 80% 1-RM, 5×5 squat protocol (with decrements persisting at 48–72 hours while men recovered sooner), consider allowing 72+ hours between high-intensity leg sessions (the 2x/week schedule already accommodates this). If performance on Day B is consistently below Day A, consider reducing Day B volume by 1 set per exercise.
The same %1-RM and RPE framework applies as for men; adjust based on individual recovery and performance rather than assuming women need different loading schemes. Both sexes show similar relative adaptations to resistance training (Kyröläinen et al., 2020).
Menstrual cycle (autoregulated, not prescribed): If you experience significant symptoms (cramping, fatigue, low mood) during the late-luteal phase or early menstruation:
- Reduce load 5–10% on primary compounds.
- Keep technique crisp; swap axial-heavy lifts (heavy back squat, deadlift) for lower-axial-fatigue alternatives (leg press, Bulgarian split squat, hip thrust) if needed.
- Do NOT force peak-intensity sessions during high-symptom days.
- If symptoms are minimal, train normally — the evidence does not support rigid phase-based programming (McNulty et al., 2020; D'Souza et al., 2023).
For women using hormonal contraceptives: the evidence on whether contraceptive use blunts the acute hormonal response to exercise is inconsistent, and there is no strong evidence that it meaningfully affects long-term strength or hypertrophy adaptations. No program changes are required.
For perimenopausal/menopausal women: recovery capacity may shift; prioritize sleep, protein intake (1.6–2.2 g/kg/day), and allow an extra rest day if recovery markers decline.

Weekly Tracking Template

Record the following each week. Consistency of measurement conditions matters more than precision — measure at the same time of day, same day of the week, ideally in the morning after waking.

Weekly Metrics Log

Metric	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4 (post-test)
Date
Body weight (lb/kg)
Estimated 1-RM squat (from top set)
Estimated 1-RM deadlift (from top set)
Top set: squat (weight × reps)
Top set: deadlift (weight × reps)
Estimated lean mass / skeletal muscle mass
Measurement method (DEXA / BIA / tape proxy / other)
Thigh circumference (mid-thigh, same spot, cm)
Hip circumference (widest point, cm)
Left / right thigh circumference (cm, if using tape)
Sleep quality (1–5)
Average sleep hours
Muscle soreness (1–5)
Energy / motivation (1–5)
Stress level (1–5)
Session RPE — Day A (6–10)
Session RPE — Day B (6–10)
Overall recovery score (1–5)
Menstrual cycle phase (if applicable)
Weekly protein intake (avg g/day)
Adjustment for next week

Scales Reference

Scale	1	2	3	4	5
Sleep quality	Terrible	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
Soreness	None	Mild	Moderate	Significant	Severe
Energy/motivation	Drained	Low	Moderate	Good	High
Stress	Minimal	Low	Moderate	High	Very high
Recovery score	Very poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Fully recovered

How to use the tracking data

Estimated 1-RM trend: Plot your weekly estimated 1-RM for squat and deadlift. A steady or rising trend across Weeks 1–3 (with Week 4 deload) indicates appropriate progressive overload. Use the Epley equation: 1-RM = Weight × (1 + 0.0333 × Reps).
Circumference / body composition: Thigh and hip circumference measured with a tape at a marked spot (use a freckle or scar as a landmark) provides a rough proxy for muscle mass change. For a direct muscle-mass estimate, use DEXA (gold standard for lean mass), bioelectrical impedance (BIA), or ultrasound if available — but measure under the same conditions each time (hydration, time of day). Record the method used in the tracking template so week-to-week comparisons are valid.
Recovery score trend: If your overall recovery score drops below 3 for two consecutive weeks, or session RPE exceeds target by >1.5 points, reduce volume (drop 1 set per exercise) or add a rest day. This is your primary autoregulation signal.
Menstrual cycle tracking (optional): If you track your cycle, note the phase. Look for patterns in your own performance and recovery across phases. Adjust only if you consistently notice a pattern — do not assume the literature's population-level findings apply to you individually.
Weekly adjustment column: At the end of each week, write 1–2 sentences on what you'll change next week (e.g., "increase squat load 5 lb," "reduce RDL to 3 sets due to hamstring soreness," "felt strong, push accessories closer to failure").

Quick-Reference: The Hormone-Emphasis Protocol (Week 3 specifics)

If you want to isolate the variables most strongly associated with peak acute hormonal response, the literature converges on:

Variable	Target	Source
Exercise selection	Large-muscle-mass compounds (squat, deadlift, leg press)	Zając et al., 2024; Bickerstaff et al., 2013
Load	70–80% 1-RM (≈8–10 RM)	Villanueva et al., 2012; Peltonen et al., 2022
Sets per exercise	3–5	Peltonen et al., 2022 (5×10); Villanueva et al., 2012 (3×10)
Reps per set	8–12	Same
Rest between sets	60–90 s	Villanueva et al., 2012 (60 s augmented testosterone response)
Proximity to failure	0–1 RIR on final sets	Maximizes metabolic stress
Total volume	High (multiple exercises, multiple sets)	Wells et al., 2015

Safety Notes

Warm up thoroughly before every session. Cold muscles and joints are more injury-prone.
Prioritize technique over load. If you cannot maintain form (spinal neutral, knee tracking, controlled tempo), reduce the weight.
Do not test true 1-RM weekly. Use submaximal estimations. Reserve true max testing for Week 4 post-test, and only if you are healthy and recovered.
Stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, or chest tightness. Consult a physician if these occur.
Avoid this program if: you are pregnant or postpartum (seek specialized guidance), have unmanaged hypertension or cardiac conditions, have active musculoskeletal injuries, or experience pelvic floor symptoms during loaded movements.
Novice substitution: If you are not yet comfortable with barbell back squats or conventional deadlifts, substitute goblet squats, trap-bar deadlifts, or leg press, and work with a qualified coach to develop technique before attempting barbell max work or the intensification protocols in Week 3.
Nutrition supports recovery and adaptation: Aim for 1.6–2.2 g protein per kg body weight per day, adequate total energy intake, and sufficient sleep (7–9 hours). Low energy availability can suppress hormones and impair adaptation, particularly in women (Ackerman et al., HPG axis review).

Sources

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