If you’ve hit your mid-40s and feel like your drive, energy, and strength have taken a hit, you’re not imagining it. Testosterone levels naturally decline as you age. You might feel it when your workouts stall or when motivation disappears just as fast as it arrived. The supplement aisle will gladly sell you a quick fix, but boosting testosterone doesn’t come in a bottle. It comes from how you move, lift, and challenge your body.
Exercise is one of the most reliable ways to trigger a natural testosterone response. The key is picking the right lifts, the ones that build muscle, fire up your nervous system, and keep you lifting with purpose. The movements that challenge your full body are the ones that tell your system, “We’re still in the fight.”
I’ve coached men well into their 50s and 60s who’ve completely turned around how they look, feel, and perform just by focusing on the best exercises. When you target large muscle groups with intensity, your hormones respond.
Here are six proven lifts that can boost testosterone production better than most supplements ever will. Use them consistently, train hard, and finish strong.
6 Exercises That Boost Testosterone After 45
Exercise #1: Squats
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Squats are one of the most effective exercises for stimulating testosterone because they target multiple large muscle groups at once. This demand signals the body to produce more of the hormones needed for muscle growth and recovery. For men over 45, squats also help maintain lower-body strength, joint health, and mobility, all of which play a role in staying active and strong long term.
Muscles Trained: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core, lower back.
How to Do It:
- Set your feet shoulder-width apart with toes slightly turned out.
- Position the barbell across your upper traps and grip it just outside shoulder-width.
- Brace your core and keep your chest tall.
- Lower your body by bending your knees and hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Drive through your heels to return to standing.
- Reset and repeat each rep with control.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Knock out 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 8 reps. Rest for 90 to 120 seconds between each set.
Best Variations: Front squat, goblet squat, safety bar squat.
Form Tip: Push your knees out as you lower to keep tension through your hips and glutes.
Exercise #2: Deadlifts
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Deadlifts recruit nearly every major muscle in the body, which helps support a stronger testosterone response. They also build strength in the posterior chain, an area that tends to weaken with age. Done consistently, deadlifts improve grip, core stability, and lower back resilience while encouraging lean muscle retention.
Muscles Trained: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back, upper traps, core.
How to Do It:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and the bar over your midfoot.
- Grip the bar just outside your knees and pull your chest up.
- Brace your core and drive your feet into the floor.
- Lift the bar by extending your hips and knees simultaneously.
- Lock out at the top by squeezing your glutes, then lower under control.
- Reset between reps.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 to 4 sets of 4 to 6 reps. Rest for 2 minutes between each set.
Best Variations: Trap bar deadlift, sumo deadlift, Romanian deadlift.
Form Tip: Keep the bar close to your shins and drive your hips forward to finish each lift.
Exercise #3: Pull-Ups
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Pull-ups build strength through your back, arms, and shoulders while placing high demand on your upper body. This effort encourages testosterone release and helps support muscle development. Pull-ups also test your relative strength, which is a valuable marker for overall fitness after 45.
Muscles Trained: Lats, biceps, upper back, core, forearms.
How to Do It:
- Grab a pull-up bar with a shoulder-width grip, palms facing away.
- Hang with your arms fully extended and legs straight.
- Brace your core and pull your chin above the bar.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top.
- Lower with control until your arms are extended again.
- Reset and repeat.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Knock out 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between each set.
Best Variations: Neutral-grip pull-up, band-assisted pull-up, chest-to-bar pull-up.
Form Tip: Avoid swinging. Keep your body tight and lead with your chest.
Exercise #4: Bench Press
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The bench press trains your chest, shoulders, and triceps with enough resistance to stimulate hormonal activity. It’s a reliable way to build upper-body strength and mass, which becomes harder to maintain as testosterone levels decline. It also reinforces joint stability in your shoulders and elbows.
Muscles Trained: Chest, triceps, shoulders, core.
How to Do It:
- Lie flat on the bench with your feet planted on the floor.
- Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Unrack the bar and lower it slowly to your mid-chest.
- Pause briefly, then drive the bar back to the top.
- Keep your shoulder blades tight and your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
- Lock out, reset, and repeat.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 8 reps. Rest for 90 seconds between each set.
Best Variations: Incline bench press, dumbbell bench press, close-grip bench press.
Form Tip: Plant your feet and squeeze your glutes to create a stable pressing base.
Exercise #5: Bent-Over Rows
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Bent-over rows target the upper back, rear shoulders, and arms while demanding solid core control. This full-body tension encourages hormone release that supports muscle growth. Rows also improve posture and pulling strength, both of which tend to decline without consistent training.
Muscles Trained: Lats, rhomboids, rear delts, biceps, lower back.
How to Do It:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell or dumbbells.
- Hinge at your hips until your torso is almost parallel to the floor.
- Let your arms hang fully extended, palms facing your body.
- Row the weight toward your belly button, squeezing your back.
- Lower slowly and control the tempo on every rep.
- Reset your posture if you feel your lower back rounding.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Knock out 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Rest for 60 to 75 seconds between each set.
Best Variations: Chest-supported row, single-arm dumbbell row, T-bar row.
Form Tip: Keep your back flat and lead the movement with your elbows.
Exercise #6: Leg Press
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The leg press lets you train your lower body with heavier loads without placing strain on your spine. Because it targets your quads, glutes, and hamstrings, it helps promote testosterone production through large-muscle activation. This makes it a smart option for building strength while protecting your joints.
Muscles Trained: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves.
How to Do It:
- Sit in the leg press machine with your back flat against the pad.
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform.
- Unrack the sled and lower it toward your chest with control.
- Keep your knees in line with your toes throughout the movement.
- Press the platform back to the start without locking your knees.
- Repeat with steady rhythm and full control.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps. Rest for 90 seconds between each set.
Best Variations: Single-leg press, high-feet leg press, seated leg press.
Form Tip: Keep your hips and lower back glued to the pad to avoid strain.
Daily Habits That Can Help Boost Testosterone After 45
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Your training builds the foundation, but your daily habits are what support hormone health long term. If you’re putting in the work at the gym, back it up with simple lifestyle wins.
- Prioritize sleep: Aim for 7 to 9 hours of high-quality rest each night. Poor sleep reduces testosterone output and recovery.
- Lift heavy often: Intensity beats volume when it comes to stimulating hormones. Focus on effort over duration.
- Eat enough: Undereating can lower testosterone. Make sure you’re fueling recovery with protein, healthy fats, and carbs.
- Cut excess alcohol: Frequent drinking can lower testosterone. Limit intake and support liver health.
- Manage stress: Chronic stress increases cortisol, which competes with testosterone. Add breathing drills, walks, or downtime daily.
