By Mark Diaz, NYC Personal Trainer / Strength Coach
There are essentially two categories of exercise to increase growth hormone production. The first is through the use of interval training. The second is through the use of weight training. In both cases, what is most important is to work on training modalities that challenge the anaerobic lactic acid pathway.
The anaerobic lactic acid pathway is responsible for energy production for events that last 50-120 seconds in duration. This time of effort, or time under tension, is ideal for increasing blood lactate levels, thus increasing growth hormone output.
If there is a proper way to do “cardio,” interval training is it. Interval training is actually not cardiovascular in nature, because it uses anaerobic pathways of energy production. It is a fast / slow method of training.
Interval training is best performed on a bike or a rowing machine if you are confined to a gym. If you have access to the outdoors and have the musculoskeletal balance, sprinting and high intensity running are excellent choices.
Weight training is another excellent way to increase growth hormone output, and has the benefit of allowing you to work in a controlled environment while you develop the structural integrity to perform the more demanding interval training of high intensity running and sprinting.
If you are using weight training, choose big bang-for-your-buck exercises whenever possible, such as squats and deadlifts for the lower body, and chin-ups, pull-ups, and presses for the upper body. When your structural needs demand it, use unilateral or tandem (dumbbell exercises that require your arms to work at the same time, but independently) exercises, such as step-ups, split squats, and lunges for the lower body; and dumbbell presses, pull downs, and rows for the upper body.
Continue reading for more about supplements that help to improve growth hormone production.
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