Low T and firefighters: Why Strength Training Matters More Than You Think for your testosterone

STRONG WorkTestosterone
Written By Vanessa Frost-Piedrahita

You’re dragging through shifts, sore longer than you used to be, and your workouts feel more like punishment than progress. Maybe you chalk it up to “just getting older,” or that the job is catching up with you. But here’s the thing—

It might be your testosterone.

And no, this isn’t just about sex drive and six-packs. Testosterone plays a key role in muscle mass, energy levels, recovery, sleep quality, mental sharpness—basically everything you need to feel like yourself and show up strong at work.

Why does this matter on the fireground?

low testosterone in firefighters

Because when your T levels are low:

  • You lose strength and muscle (which you need for lifting humans and hoses)

  • Recovery slows down (so you're still exhausted after a full nights rest)

  • And your motivation to train drops (which makes everything above worse)

It turns into a vicious cycle—and strength training can either be part of the fix, or part of the problem depending on how you’re doing it.

Here’s the good news:

Strength training—done right—can actually help your testosterone levels. It’s one of the best tools we have to maintain lean muscle mass, support metabolic health, and keep your hormones from flatlining.

But most guys in the fire service aren’t doing it in a way that helps.

Instead, it’s usually one of three things:

  • Endless circuit training with no dedicated strength work—so you’re sweaty and tired but not actually building anything

  • Random workouts with no structure or progression (aka what do I feel like doing today)

  • Crushing yourself with conditioning every shift trying to out-train your diet or make up for years of neglect

None of that supports testosterone. In fact, it can make things worse—trashing your nervous system, and putting your body in a constant state of stress.

What actually works?

  • Progressive overload with focused strength sessions that challenge your muscles without wrecking your body

  • Full-body compound lifts that carry over to the fireground

  • Structured training blocks that build over time

  • Recovery that’s planned in—not just taken when you’re too smoked to keep going

Pair that with even small wins in sleep, nutrition, and cutting back on the “no days off” mindset, and you’ve got a solid base for keeping your testosterone where it should be—no meds required.

Bottom line:

If you’re starting to feel weaker, slower, or just off—it’s worth looking at your training, your lifestyle, and yeah… maybe your testosterone.

And if you don’t know where to start, I made something for that.

👉 Check out the Firefighter Testosterone Guide—it covers what low T actually is, what causes it, what to do before jumping on TRT, and how to start fixing the stuff that matters. All backed by research, 170+ peer reviewed studies, not influencer nonsense.

testosterone guide for firefighters

References

  • Cumming, D. C., Quigley, M. E., & Yen, S. S. C. (1983). Acute Suppression of Circulating Testosterone Levels by Cortisol in Men*. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 57(3), 671–673. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem-57-3-671

  • Porto, L. G. G., Soares, E. M. K. V. K., Ranadive, S. M., Lofrano-Porto, A., & Smith, D. L. (2024). Association of Endogenous Testosterone with Physical Fitness Measures during Firefighter Occupational Health Evaluations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(3), 274. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21030274

  • Hooper, D. R., Kraemer, W. J., Focht, B. C., Volek, J. S., DuPont, W. H., Caldwell, L. K., & Maresh, C. M. (2017). Endocrinological Roles for Testosterone in Resistance Exercise Responses and Adaptations. Sports Medicine, 47(9), 1709–1720. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0698-y

  • Antonio, L., Wu, F. C. W., O’Neill, T. W., Pye, S. R., Ahern, T. B., Laurent, M. R., Huhtaniemi, I. T., Lean, M. E. J., Keevil, B. G., Rastrelli, G., Forti, G., Bartfai, G., Casanueva, F. F., Kula, K., Punab, M., Giwercman, A., Claessens, F., Decallonne, B., Vanderschueren, D., & the European Male Ageing Study Study Group. (2016). Low Free Testosterone Is Associated with Hypogonadal Signs and Symptoms in Men with Normal Total Testosterone. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 101(7), 2647–2657. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2015-4106

  • Ranadive, S. M., Lofrano-Porto, A., Soares, E. M. K. V. K., Eagan, L., Porto, L. G. G., & Smith, D. L. (2021). Low testosterone and cardiometabolic risks in a real-world study of US male firefighters. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 14189. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93603-z

Vanessa Frost-Piedrahita
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