Testosterone can be increased through resistance training as well as other exercise. However, the exact reaction of the metabolism of the individual depends on the type of exercise performed. Exercise intensity is defined as the amount of force exerted by the skeletal muscle relative to the maximum attainable force. In essence, heavy weights which necessitate a low rep number are categorised as intense exercise. A threshold exists that is required to be breached in order to cause a testosterone release and below around 50 % of the 1 rep max it is less likely that testosterone release will occur in the bench press and the squat. In addition, it has been shown that reducing the intensity of exercise, while keeping total work performed static, also decreases the amount of testosterone that is subsequently released. However, a high intensity alone may not be enough to elicit a testosterone response as a certain volume of work must be formed. However, at any given volume, a threshold of intensity exists that must be breached to elicit a testosterone response. Therefore as the intensity increases and the number of reps thus decreases, the number of sets must be increased to maintain a certain volume of work if a testosterone response is to be provoked. .
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Vingren, J. L., Kraemer, W. J., Ratamess, N. A., Anderson, J. M., Volek, J. S. and Maresh, C. M. 2010. Testosterone physiology in resistance exercise and training: the up-stream regulatory elements. Sports Medicine. 40: 1037-1053
