Hormonal Imbalance & Body Composition Optimization
An important part of mastering your body composition is learning how to correct any hormonal imbalance effectively. Your hormones are going to dictate almost all the events that go on in your body on a day to day basis, so those who have their hormones optimally balanced are going to be those who are best able to favorable improve body composition i.e.: lower their total body fat level while increasing their lean muscle mass.
So that brings us to the question of how to manage a hormonal imbalance correctly? The best way to do this is through smart training. Let’s look at what you need to know.
Improve Insulin Sensitivity Hormonal Imbalance With Strength Training
The first way in which you can optimize your hormones is by getting involved in a proper strength training program. This is going to help you elevate your overall insulin sensitivity level, which means your tissue cells become more responsive to this particular hormone. Insulin is released from the pancreas when you eat carbohydrates and will dictate the likelihood that these carbohydrates are converted into body fat stores. The more insulin sensitive you are, the better you are able to use those carbs for energy or for storage in muscle cells, reducing your risk of fat gain. A proper strength training program will keep you leaner over time, while also lowering your risk for diabetes, which is characterized by poor insulin sensitivity levels.
Lower Your Cortisol With Sprint Work
Another way to optimize a hormonal imbalance through exercise is by utilizing sprinting rather than long duration cardio training. This will help minimize the level of the hormone cortisol that’s being released. Cortisol is a stress hormone that promotes fat accumulation in the abdominal region and will also break down lean muscle mass. The second way to ensure you sustain lower cortisol levels is by keeping your workouts short and intense. Don’t let your workouts drag on longer than 45 minutes to an hour. Beyond this point, chances are you are not working at the intensity level that you should be to reap maximum benefits and you’ll only be experiencing an increase in cortisol levels, which will ultimately not help improve body composition.
With less cortisol in your body thanks to smart training, you’ll stay leaner and lose belly fat faster.
Increase Your Natural Testosterone Levels to improve Body Composition
Finally, the last way to improve your body composition and optimize hormonal imbalance is by increasing your natural testosterone levels. While females do not possess nearly the same level of testosterone that males do, both genders do release this hormone, which helps keep the body lean, strong, and fit. When you lift heavier weights and really challenge yourself, you’ll increase the natural release of this hormone, which in turn will help you to burn body fat. To help optimize this, you should focus on keeping the weights challenging enough and keep your rest periods to around 30-60 seconds between sets.This will help create the optimal hormonal environment that will ensure you are reaping full benefits from each workout you do. So keep these quick tips in mind. If you train properly, you can definitely go a long way towards learning how to balance your hormones for best results.