Testosterone is the primary and most talked about male sex hormone. When in balance, testosterone is associated with energy, sex drive, and an overall sense of well-being. It is mainly secreted from the gonads or “testes” in males with a small amount being secreted from the adrenal glands. Testosterone is involved in development of the male reproductive tissues and in secondary sexual characteristics such as the testicles, prostate, muscle and bone strength, and body hair. Men are not the only ones who produce testosterone, women also produce some of the hormone in the ovaries. In women testosterone has an impact on the reproductive system, strength, and overall health. Too much or too little testosterone can cause issues in both men and women. Testosterone Production Testosterone production is regulated by the hypothalamus and the pituitary which are located in the brain and send signals to the testes. Together this hormone regulating system is known as the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. The axis allows for the body to monitor the amount of testosterone in the body and adjust the amount produced according to development age and physical factors. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GNRH) is the hormone that regulates the sex hormones. GNRH is low in childhood and increases in puberty when sex hormones are needed for maturation and sexual urges.

How to Use High Intensity 30 Day Program The 30 day program has 10 unique workouts that have been created to help with fat burning, cardiovascular health, functional fitness and whole body strength. Each of the work outs has been time-tabled into a 30 day plan and all you have to do is follow the daily work numbers e.g. work out 1 etc. It is very simply to use and all of the work outs only have bodyweight exercises (no equipment is required). Therefore they can be used in the park, at home or if you are brave enough in the office! In total there are 10 ‘HIIT’ style work outs and all you have to do is repeat each work out to match your fitness levels. There is also an explanation on how to perform each exercise with the correct ‘form’. Plus all of the exercise descriptions for each work out are listed alphabetically in the second section! Work Out 1 Exercise Duration Rest Interval Intensity Sprinting on the Spot 20 seconds 10 seconds High Squats 20 seconds 10 seconds High Bear Crawls 20 seconds 10 seconds High Back Extensions 20 seconds 10 seconds High Little Pulse Squat Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Box or Push Ups 20 seconds 10 seconds High Clock Lunges 20 seconds 10 seconds High Tuck Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Work Out 2 Exercise Duration Rest Interval Intensity Jacks 20 seconds 10 seconds High Glute Bridges 20 seconds 10 seconds High Lunge Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Leg Raises 20 seconds 10 seconds High Burpees 20 seconds 10 seconds High Power Punches 20 seconds 10 seconds High Dip and Kicks outs 20 seconds 10 seconds High Squat Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Work Out 3 Exercise Duration Rest Interval Intensity Log Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Donkey Kicks 20 seconds 10 seconds High Plank 20 seconds 10 seconds Low Squat Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Dips and Kick Outs 20 seconds 10 seconds High Elevated Lunge and Twist 20 seconds 10 seconds High Push Ups 20 seconds 10 seconds High Glute Bridges 20 seconds 10 seconds High Work Out 4 Exercise Duration Rest Interval Intensity Ice Skaters 20 seconds 10 seconds High Spider Men 20 seconds 10 seconds High In and Out Jumping Squats 20 seconds 10 seconds High Push Ups 20 seconds 10 seconds High Clock Lunges 20 seconds 10 seconds High Opposite Arm and Leg Raises 20 seconds 10 seconds High Tuck Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Bear Crawls 20 seconds 10 seconds High Work Out 5 Exercise Duration Rest Interval Intensity Little Pulse Jump Squats 20 seconds 10 seconds High Jacks 20 seconds 10 seconds High Burpees 20 seconds 10 seconds High Leg Raises 20 seconds 10 seconds High Lunge Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Squat Tuck Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Donkey Kicks 20 seconds 10 seconds High Side Leaps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Work Out 6 Exercise Duration Rest Interval Intensity Sprinting on the Spot 20 seconds 10 seconds High Squat Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Push Ups 20 seconds 10 seconds High Log Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Single Leg Deadlifts 20 seconds 10 seconds High Dips & Kicks Outs 20 seconds 10 seconds High Power Punches 20 seconds 10 seconds High Jacks 20 seconds 10 seconds High Work Out 7 Exercise Duration Rest Interval Intensity Bear Crawls 20 seconds 10 seconds High Glute Bridges 20 seconds 10 seconds High Push Ups 20 seconds 10 seconds High Split Lunge Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Plank 20 seconds 10 seconds Low Extended Lunge and Twist 20 seconds 10 seconds High Squats 20 seconds 10 seconds High Tuck Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Work Out 8 Exercise Duration Rest Interval Intensity Jacks 20 seconds 10 seconds High Squat Tuck Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Push Ups 20 seconds 10 seconds High Clock Lunges 20 seconds 10 seconds High Burpees 20 seconds 10 seconds High Squat Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Opposite Arm and Leg Raises 20 seconds 10 seconds High Single Leg Deadlifts 20 seconds 10 seconds High Work Out 9 Exercise Duration Rest Interval Intensity Log Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High In and Out Jumping Squats 20 seconds 10 seconds High Sprinting on the Spot 20 seconds 10 seconds High Glute Bridges 20 seconds 10 seconds High Leg Raises 20 seconds 10 seconds High Split Lunge Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Dips and Kicks Outs 20 seconds 10 seconds High Push Ups 20 seconds 10 seconds High Work Out 10 Exercise Duration Rest Interval Intensity Burpees 20 seconds 10 seconds High Squat Tuck Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Push Ups 20 seconds 10 seconds High In and Out Jumping Squats 20 seconds 10 seconds High Bear Crawls 20 seconds 10 seconds High Split Lunge Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High Spidermen 20 seconds 10 seconds High Tuck Jumps 20 seconds 10 seconds High

Tabata is a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) craze that is hitting the fitness industry like a hurricane! Why is this happening? Well the main reason is that Tabata training does produce amazing results whilst performing briefer workouts.  This is revolutionizing the way we work out. In fact, some of the workouts take only four minutes from start to finish, and the results that can be achieved after this short blast are truly unbelievable! This reduction in overall training time will suit the people with busy lifestyles, and others who smash the gym performing both cardio and weights for lengthy periods of time. Unfortunately, many gym goers do tend to drop off because they are only achieving limited results. One of the main issues attached to this scenario is that people exercise at the wrong intensity whilst performing these lengthy workouts! If this feels like it is happening to you, then it is time to mix up your workouts up and throw some Tabata training into the equation! Please read on and let’s explain this further… Exercise Intensity Exercise intensity is probably the most important factor when performing a Tabata work out. You will need to put maximal effort into each exercise, think of it as a ‘sprinting intensity’, as this the benchmark for this style of training.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone belonging to the corticosteroid class known as glucocorticoids. It is produced and secreted by the adrenal gland and is involved in a variety of functions including the stress response, immune response, inflammation and carbohydrate metabolism. Cortisol is also available as a pharmaceutical therapeutic known as hydrocortisone.  This paper provides an overview of cortisol, its involvement in disease and its use as a therapeutic. Although cortisol is involved in a variety of functions, it is best known as the stress hormone. So it is not surprising that cortisol production is induced by stressors that activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis—a system of interactions and feedback loops between three major glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. Following stress, the hypothalamus secretes corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). CRH then stimulates CRH receptors (CRHRs) in the pituitary gland to produce another hormone called adrenocorticotropin, or ACTH. Some stressors, such as hypoglycemia, hemorrhage and immune stimuli, can trigger the release of vasopressin—another hypothalamic substance that promotes ACTH production. ACTH then stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol. Other factors such as cytokines and fat cells can also stimulate the HPA at any level. The produced cortisol is bound to corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) or cortisol-binding protein (CBP), which transports it through circulation to different tissues.

Cortisol and Circadian rhythm Cortisol levels vary throughout the day and follow a circadian (24-hour) rhythm. Cortisol levels begin to increase significantly in the early morning, peaking around mid-morning. Their levels then gradually decline throughout the day until they reach their lowest levels during nighttime sleep. Approximately 77% of people also experience the cortisol awakening response (CAR), which is a sharp increase in cortisol 30min after waking that is independent of the normal circadian rhythm. Cortisol and Stress Stress is anything that strains homeostasis, which is the capacity of the body to maintain its biological processes such as temperature or heart rate. Stress can be external factors such as work and social stressors or internal such as dysregulation of vital processes. In response to these factors the body typically engages a stress response that serves to return it to a state of normalcy. This response involves increased cognition, lower sensitivity to painful stimuli, an increase in blood sugar levels, increased breakdown of fats and other lipids and an inhibition of reproduction.