Did you know there are multiple T-boosting benefits of working out shirtless and shoeless outdoors? Do you want to naturally boost your T levels for free using the power of the sun and the grounding effect of the earth? Here’s how, along with some sample workout ideas!
Have you ever seen those outdoor lifter’s gyms, like the one at Venice Beach? You know, where Arnold and Franco used to work out shirtless back in the day?
I remember when I first saw that gym. It made me wish I lived closer to California. I still wish I could workout there some day, you know? Benching shirtless, soaking up the sun, getting yoked with the picturesque scenery and beach in the distance. It would be like a dream.
The only problem is, I’ve only ever seen places like that near beach towns, or located in very expensive zip codes, places not close to where I live.
Maybe you can relate.
But, what if I told you that you don’t need to live near a beach, that anyone can do it with just a few free weights and some practical know-how, and that the biggest reason you should want to do it is that there are loads of T-boosting benefits to working out outdoors?
In this post, I’m going to outline 5 surprising T-boosting benefits of working out outdoors and then give you some sample workout ideas for how you can incorporate outdoor workouts into your routine.
6 T-Boosting Benefits Of Working Out Shirtless & Shoeless Outside
1. Sun exposure = more Vitamin D = more T
Study, but at this point, it’s common knowledge. Going shirtless supercharges this effect.
2. Fresh air = more O2 = less of the stress hormone cortisol = more T
Study, but again, it’s common knowledge. Also, since cortisol and testosterone have an inverse relationship, less cortisol is going to level-up your testosterone levels.
3. Barefoot contact with the ground = less cortisol/ EMF = more T
This one is not common knowledge, but it should be. The earth’s electrical field has a negative charge, which can actually cancel out free radicals in the body when we’re in physical contact with it. Direct skin-to-earth contact with the ground, often called ‘grounding’ has numerous health benefits, but one of them is reducing cortisol, which will in turn increase testosterone, as we mentioned a minute ago.
Another benefit is reducing our exposure to electromagnetic fields that are sometimes poorly understood as to the extent of their negative effects on human health, but what we do know is that they, in essence, microwave the testicles, which is why they tell you not to put your cell phone in your pocket. Those are just two benefits, but there are others. This one topic merits its own post (coming soon). But, I will leave the studies here for you to look through:
Grounding the body for at least 10 hours daily significantly improved blood pressure in hypertensive patients, suggesting it as a safe and effective alternative to reduce blood pressure without medication (Elkin, n.d.)
Barefoot and shod walking affect gait stability and variability in both younger and older adults, with distinct differences in indoor versus outdoor conditions, suggesting that walking barefoot may reduce the risk of falling, particularly in older adults (Hollander, 2022).
Grounded sleeping accelerates recovery after intense eccentric exercise by reducing muscle damage, inflammation markers, and enhancing muscle performance, as evidenced through lower creatine kinase levels and improved athletic abilities (Müller, 2019)
Grounding during meditation enhances brain function, deepens meditation, and induces healing responses, including improved relaxation and cognitive control (Chevalier, 2022)
Localized grounding, combined with conductive skincare, enhances skin health by improving blood flow, aiding tissue repair, and promoting a healthier skin appearance (Madvin, 2021)
4. Going shirtless helps you stay cooler = more T
This one doesn’t really need a study either because, obviously, when you’re cooler, your not overheating and a cooler core temperature and cooler testicles will produce more T (provided you’re not wearing overly constrictive underwear or anything like that). But, yeah, your testicles produce more sperm and more T when they’re at a cooler temperature, which is why they naturally hang down and away from the body.
5. The psychological effect of being shirtless outside = more social dominance = more T
This one is kind of an interesting one. I stumbled on this one while I was researching off-beat ways to boost T. Apparently, someone who adopts a ‘power pose,’ which is like an expansive pose i.e. chest out, open gestures, standing tall etc. is more likely to confront danger, suggesting it increases T, compared to someone with a contracted pose i.e. slunk over, closed body language etc. A person with a contracted pose is much more likely to flee when encountering danger, suggesting an overall decrease in T. So, the implication is, your body language and how you carry yourself can have a direct influence on your T levels (here’s another study on it).
To me, it’s pretty obvious that this would be the case because it’s often said that “the body is a servant of the mind” and “as you think, so you are,” “fake it ’til you make it,” “perception is reality” etc. which people call pseudoscience, but is actually legit and works if you were to try it, although a lot of people don’t want to believe it.
This one would seem to fall into the category of another study that looked into the T levels of men watching professional sports and that observed how, directly after a game, the men rooting for the winning team experienced a boost in T and the men rooting for the losing team experienced a decrease in T.
This all points to the fact that there’s a powerful connection between the mind and the body, which is not yet fully understood, but that nevertheless is very real and represents something we can potentially tap into in order to get yoked.
If “power poses” can potentially increase T, I don’t see why going shirtless outdoors couldn’t serve as something of a “power pose” with the same psychological and endocrine effect. It would explain why visualization techniques also work. Look up ‘Psychoneuroendocrinology’ if you’re interested in finding out more information on this subject.
6. Being out in nature = more spiritual closeness to God = more T
There’s something about that ‘peace that surpasses all understanding’ — “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). And where does peace come from? Peace comes from the prince of peace, Jesus Christ.
The reason why so many Christians experience this peace, to the point where nonbelievers also notice this about Christians, is because a relationship with Jesus Christ will naturally lower cortisol levels. And what do lower cortisol levels mean? That’s right, more T (I don’t have any studies backing this up, but this is what I’ve come to believe and why “the righteous are bold as a lion” — “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).
But getting back to what I was saying, when you get saved, you’re in a state of supernatural peace that is difficult to explain, like the Bible says, because you’re spiritually standing on the truth, the rock, that is Jesus Christ. You’ve surrendered control over your life to him by accepting him as Lord and savior and essentially “cast your cares upon him” — “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1st Peter 5:7). God is henceforth in control of your life and there’s a profound peace in that, that he’s going to take good care of you, like a good father would.
How does this translate to being shirtless outside? Well, because being out in nature puts you more in touch with and in awe of God’s creation, to where a believer will feel what I can only describe as an orgasmic sense of wonderment combined with that supernatural peace, just from venturing outdoors. I really don’t think an atheist would experience that same effect.
But, again, the point is, going out and about in God’s green earth has got to have a positive effect on your T levels because of how good it makes you feel. And I’ve noticed that being shirtless while doing this amplifies this. That’s all I can say.
If you’re curious about what other people have to say about how Jesus changed their life, check out my free book of testimonies, Jesus Lifts. Your eyes will be opened.
T-boosting benefits of working out outside — sample workouts you can try
Next time it’s sunny out, I challenge you to drag the weight bench out and onto the grass, grab some dumbbells, or a barbell if you’d like, and get at it. Here are some sample workouts you can try.
1. Lift + circuit
Any lift that you can do with a dumbbell, or barbell, do it for 12-15 reps, until you get that hypertrophic effect, that “pump” in your muscles, and then drops the weighs and hit a circuit. You could do bent over dumbbell rows, military press, biceps curls, whatever it is, just try to hit 1 or 2 big muscle groups per workout e.g. chest and triceps, back and biceps, shoulders and quads, hamstrings and back etc.
You can do burpees, squat jacks, high knees, or some plyometric moves, like box jumps, if you have a mat or heavy duty box to jump onto, or maybe try some step-ups onto the weight bench, as long as it can support your weight and then some. You can do some farmer’s walks holding dumbbells at your side and then walking a certain distance, turning around and coming by for one rep. There’s lot of different circuits you could do. You could even throw some planks in there or side planks, depending on your fitness level. Just throw a circuit in there after your lift and I guarantee that you will be blasting that EPOC (exercise post oxygen consumption) and burning the calories, while building muscle.
2. Lift + jog/sprint
The cool thing about being outside is that you can incorporate jogging, or sprinting as part of your workout, whereas when you’re inside, the most you can do is jump on an elliptical or treadmill, but even then it’s just not the same.
So, the idea here is much the same as in the first sample workout, except, instead of doing a circuit, you take a lap, or do a wind sprint, touch the ground, like in a soccer or football drill, then run/jog back, rest, and then get ready for your next set. It’s a great way to build or maintain that muscle, burn those calories and rev that metabolism!
3. Lift + walk
This is a much more leisurely, at your own pace, type workout, but that doesn’t mean it’s not as effective because it is. Do a solid set, feel that burn, then take a rest, look at that cardinal, or bluejay, or that squirrel darting across the lawn, and then proceed to the next set, until you hit at least 2-3 exercises per muscle group for at least 1-2 muscle groups.
Since you won’t be doing any circuit with this one, I would just focus on compound lifts, like benching, squatting, or deadlifting followed by shaping movements, incline curls, overhead presses, shrugs, bent-over rows etc.
When you feel like you got a good pump, good for a walk shirtless and soak up the sun, although you may want to have your shoes on if you’re going to be walking on concrete.
Are the T-boosting benefits of working out shirtless and shoeless worth the risk?
No, you’re not going to get ticks, so long as you stay in the full-sun areas, where the sun has made the grass dry from constantly beating on it. No tick can withstand that.
And, as long as you check the grass for rocks, or twigs, or anything sharp that could get stuck in your foot beforehand, you’re golden.
Try it out and report back. Leave a comment with the specifics of how it all worked out.
Your training partner,
Read next: Best Deodorants For Men Who Care About Their T Levels
