Workouts or sex - which is more important and how to combine them

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2011-01-11

Many people engage in sports. Almost everyone has sex. Some worry about how to combine these two activities, while others do not. Some believe that sex and workouts help each other, while others think the opposite. I have a feeling that this article will be at least interesting, and at most, also useful.

Typically, all discussions about combining sex and workouts boil down to three questions. Here they are:

1. How does sex affect strength training?

2. How do strength training sessions affect sex?

3. How to combine these two activities?

This article is mostly dedicated to men. Due to physiological differences, guys more often ponder such questions. Women usually are not troubled by such dilemmas; if faced with the choice of training or sex, they invariably choose the latter and don't fill their heads with such nonsense. They are not chasing championship mass and strength. And no woman can understand how one could choose training over sex! I'll say right away that I'm not urging you to choose one over the other. I will simply share some facts. No one intends to impose restrictions on you. You should live a full life. But information is never unnecessary.

How Sex Affects Strength Training

There are many similarities between working out and having sex. You expend physical and mental energy, and testosterone levels are affected. After a workout, muscle strength and endurance temporarily decrease. The same happens after engaging in sex. The testosterone levels, which are crucial for strength training, drop. This is because after sex, a man's body experiences a rise in prolactin levels—a hormone that counters dopamine, often referred to as the "feel-good" hormone. Prolactin partially reduces testosterone production. This effect is temporary. When there’s a stable rise in prolactin levels for any reason (like age), it immediately affects feelings with side effects like depression, reduced libido, headaches, and, most importantly, decreased testosterone levels.

Women's physiology, on the other hand, is different. There are rumors that the German women's weightlifting team arrived at competitions with their husbands and boyfriends. The guys would "romance" them the night before their performance, and they would show outstanding results. Well, that could well be true.

My personal "research" shows that women can actually experience an increase in muscle strength after sex! This is primarily related to the adrenaline rush. The same cannot be said for men. If you go to the gym right after sex, don’t expect any records! It’s better to avoid the weights altogether. It's best to love each other either after training or on a day when you don’t have a workout. In general, everyone should set their own priorities. But keep in mind:

1. You have a certain reserve of energy, and it's up to you to decide whether to spend it on sex or training.

2. Excessive sexual activity can undermine all your efforts in the gym. You won’t have enough time to recover between workouts.

3. If you are competing, it's advisable to refrain from sex for at least a few days. Personally, I find that 3 to 4 days is sufficient.

4. This may sound harsh, but sex is essentially another workout. Instead of lifting weights, you’re engaging with your partner.

How Strength Training Affects Sex

Regular weight training and using machines with adequate recovery has a positive effect on all bodily systems, and potency is no exception. Strength training significantly stimulates testosterone production and trains pelvic muscles. All of this positively impacts both potency and sexual desire (libido). However, this is true as long as you are not overexerting your body with daily grueling workouts. Overall, unless you are a professional athlete experimenting on your own body, regular engagement in any active sport – especially bodybuilding or fitness – will not only give you toned, beautiful, and muscular physique but also provide you with "long-lasting" potency into your senior years.

This applies to women as well, though to a lesser extent. They are generally more resilient than men and less focused on sports. They always seem to find the energy and desire for "this." Interestingly, training the pelvic and abdominal muscles in women can enhance the intensity and frequency of orgasms. This is primarily due to improved blood circulation in female sexual organs. Several of my students have already thanked me for this.

How to Combine These Two Activities

So, should you limit yourself in sex for the sake of success in the gym? Do heavy weight training sessions diminish sexual desire and potency in men? Many argue, while even more remain in the dark, and I, based on my practice of natural training, assert that an athlete should not strictly limit themselves when it comes to sex. However, sometimes if you are focused on results, this might be necessary. The biochemical processes of sexual desire and muscle growth in our bodies have common roots. It’s no coincidence that “chemical” bodybuilders, taking hormonal drugs to stimulate mass growth, find that their potency increases. The same effect is achieved by “natural” athletes, through a natural and gentle stimulation of the hormonal system.

From all of the above, we can conclude that with the right approach, sex and training complement each other excellently. This is true for both men and women. Don’t fixate on just one and remember that there is a time and place for everything.

Train your muscles, boost your metabolism, and elevate your libido, ladies and gentlemen.