This kettlebell workout won't boost your testosterone levels

What does this video actually claim?

Juan Leija's Instagram video promotes a 21-minute EMOM (every minute on the minute) kettlebell workout with three exercises: snatches, swings, and clean-to-reverse-lunge-press combinations. He doesn't explicitly claim testosterone benefits in the caption, but it's posted under fitness influencer content often tied to hormone optimization claims.

The workout itself looks solid. You cycle through one exercise per minute for 21 minutes total, getting rest periods built into each minute. The exercise selection hits major movement patterns and would definitely make you sweat.

But here's where things get murky. This content is tagged in TRT categories, suggesting an implied connection between this type of training and testosterone benefits that Leija doesn't actually make explicit.

Does this workout format actually work?

EMOM workouts can be effective for building work capacity and maintaining intensity over longer periods. The format forces you to complete reps within specific time windows, which can improve both strength endurance and cardiovascular fitness when done with compound movements like these.

Kettlebell training specifically has decent research support. A 2013 study by Falatic et al. in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that 20-minute kettlebell workouts burned around 20.2 calories per minute and significantly elevated heart rate.

The exercise selection is reasonable too. Snatches and swings are explosive hip-hinge movements that train power development. The clean-to-lunge-press combo works multiple muscle groups and movement planes. You'd get a genuine workout from this protocol.

What about the testosterone angle?

Here's where fitness influencer content often goes off the rails, though Leija doesn't make explicit hormone claims here. Resistance training can modestly increase testosterone, but the effects are smaller and more temporary than most people think.

A 2020 meta-analysis by Riahy et al. found that resistance training increased total testosterone by about 15% immediately post-workout, but these spikes return to baseline within hours. Long-term training adaptations show even smaller changes in healthy men.

The idea that specific workout formats or exercises dramatically boost testosterone isn't well-supported. Your training intensity, recovery, sleep, and nutrition matter more than whether you're doing kettlebell EMOMs versus other resistance protocols.

What are the real limitations here?

The biggest issue isn't with Leija's workout design, it's with the implied promises around hormone optimization that often come with this type of content. This workout will improve your fitness, but it won't fix low testosterone or dramatically change your hormone profile.

For guys actually dealing with clinically low testosterone (below 300 ng/dL), exercise helps but doesn't replace medical treatment. The TRAVERSE trial published in NEJM in 2023 showed that testosterone therapy increased lean body mass by 1.5 kg over placebo in men with confirmed hypogonadism.

Leija also doesn't mention progression schemes, which matters for long-term results. Doing the same workout repeatedly will eventually stop driving adaptations once you're adapted to the stimulus.

What should you actually know?

This kettlebell workout looks well-designed and would be a solid addition to a training program. The EMOM format keeps intensity high while building work capacity. Just don't expect it to be a hormone optimization miracle.

If you're concerned about low testosterone, get actual blood work done. Total testosterone below 300 ng/dL or free testosterone below 50 pg/mL might warrant medical evaluation, not just different workouts.

The workout itself deserves credit for using compound movements and a time-efficient format. But fitness influencers often oversell exercise's hormone effects when the real benefits are improved strength, endurance, and body composition.