At least twice a week, I hit the gym for a strength training session. I do it for a few different reasons: I want to feel energized, comfortable in my own skin, I love good (and healthy!) food—and strength training helps me enjoy that without it turning into extra pounds. And last but not least: strength training is amazing for keeping your hormones in balance—as long as you train the right way.

When done properly, strength training can have a hugely positive impact on your hormonal balance. It boosts your energy, increases strength, improves your metabolism and insulin sensitivity, makes your body more resilient, builds lean muscle, reduces fat mass, and improves your overall health. Sounds great, right?

Here are a few interesting facts about strength training and hormones:

Insulin

Strength (and other) training improves your body’s insulin sensitivity. Short and intense sessions (no longer than 45 minutes) are the most effective. Keeping your workouts short but powerful also gives your testosterone and growth hormone levels a boost. If you train this way, your cortisol (the stress hormone) stays nice and low.
However, if your workouts are too long or too intense, cortisol can rise—and that’s where the trouble starts. High cortisol from overtraining messes with your insulin system and slows down your results.

Cortisol

When training is too long or too exhausting, it can actually disrupt your hormonal balance. Your cortisol levels go too high, leading to more muscle breakdown. Training too often or too intensely can also negatively impact your fat storage, energy levels, testosterone, and growth hormone.
And if you do a super intense workout late at night, your body may struggle to produce melatonin (your sleep hormone). Ideally, try not to train too late in the evening, so your body has time to wind down and make melatonin before bedtime.

Testosterone

Haha yes, women have testosterone too! And men have progesterone and estrogen—just in different amounts. ;-) And thank goodness for that, because we all need a healthy mix to function properly.
Testosterone levels rise after a strength training session of at least 30 but no more than 45 minutes. In women, testosterone supports muscle building, fat burning, mood improvement, assertiveness, libido, and immune function. So yes, keeping testosterone at a healthy level is very important for women too. But don’t overdo it—because too much training can have the opposite effect. ;-)

In fat tissue, testosterone gets converted into estrogen. That’s one of the reasons why carrying too much body fat can contribute to estrogen dominance. But careful—not enough fat on your body is also a problem. We need some fat to produce sex hormones. It’s all about finding that balance. :-)

Growth Hormone

Very similar to testosterone, growth hormone is also boosted by strength training. High-intensity cardio can help too. Growth hormone plays a key role in building muscle and keeping your body strong.

As you can see, strength training really supports your hormonal health on many levels. Keep in mind: hormones work together, influence one another, and sometimes even block each other. That’s why training—especially strength training—is such an important piece of the hormone balance puzzle.

If you’re dealing with hormonal symptoms, I’ll work with you (and possibly your gym or a trainer we choose together) to come up with a training plan that suits your goals and needs.

And hey—I know not every woman loves the gym. No worries! There are so many alternatives to get moving and training in a way that actually fits your lifestyle and feels good for you. Of course, this works best when paired with proper nutrition and a calm, balanced mindset.

I’d love to help you find the right approach that works for your life.

With love,
Esther