Tongkat Ali:
This is a testosterone boosting herb. It is the single most powerful T-boosting supplement I have found. It truly changed my life, because testosterone for men is linked to so many important functions, from energy to athletic performance to mood. It has helped me across the board.
Testosterone is vital for muscle growth,[1] which is why there are so many supplement companies hawking dubious products that promise to boost it.
I should note that this supplement helps you achieve normal levels of testosterone when you’re low. It’s not gonna turn you into a monster, so don’t expect it to. If you’re low in T, you’re gonna see a bigger change than if you’re around the normal range.
Mucuna Dopa (With Tyrosine, 5-HTP, Liposomal B)
This supplement is simply incredible. It contains a substance called L-dopa, which your body turns into dopamine.
Dopamine is important for fitness because it is related to muscle growth and muscle control. Too little dopamine can lead to a slack, weak, low-muscled body. It also drops mood, energy, focus, and motivation.
Mucuna Dopa was particularly important for me because I had far too little dopamine in my system. In fact, my levels were so low that they interfered with muscle control. I had a hard time doing squats, for instance, because the lack of dopamine meant I couldn’t properly control my balance as I went up and down with the movements. I sometimes nearly fell over simply from a lack of balance due to poor muscle control.
And that’s where Mucuna Dopa changed my life.
It made it possible to control my muscles smoothly and completely through any kind of exercise movement. It also increased my muscle growth and stamina, and helped me push my muscles as far as they could go. They wouldn’t simply cut out on me from a lack of gas. Now they only quit when they’re truly through.
As a note, Mucuna Dopa has to be taken with three other supplements:
The first is tyrosine. This is an important amino acid that is also a precursor of dopamine. When you supplement with Mucuna Dopa, your body concludes that there is enough tyrosine floating around, and stops the process of making it. This leads to a drop in tyrosine that can impact everything from energy to thyroid performance. So supplementing with tyrosine is essential when taking Mucuna Dopa.
The second is 5-HTP. This is because tyrosine has an antagonistic relationship with serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel content, safe, and happy. Depressed people commonly have low serotonin. 5-HTP is a powerful supplement that is capable of boosting it, and we need to take it along with tyrosine to keep our serotonin levels up.
The third is a good B vitamin. Many B vitamin supplements flush right out of your system before they can do a lot of good. That’s why I take liposomal B, which is B that is entrapped in liposomes for enhanced delivery. They last longer in the body and are better absorbed. A good B supplement is essential when supplementing with Mucuna Dopa, because dopamine synthesis requires adequate amounts of B.
DMG
DMG is an incredible supplement.[3]
For me, the most important aspect of it is that it’s scientifically demonstrated to lower lactic acid levels.
When muscles are used, lactic acid is released. This induces fatigue, weakness, and that telltale ‘burning’ feeling we get when our energy is on the wane. For me it was always really frustrating, because I knew that I still had more in the tank.
Luckily, DMG has the answer. It lowers lactic acid, allowing us to train longer and harder, and also reducing or eliminating that aggravating burning feeling.
It has also been seen to reduce muscle cramps, fatigue, stiffness, and has lowered post-workout recovery times. Additionally, it improves blood circulation and oxygen utilization.
I always pop a 500mg tablet of it before working out to keep my lactic acid down, and my energy up. It’s one of my all-time favorite supplements.
Fortagen
Fortagen is a great protein supplement that has been developed by John Jaquish, the creator of X3.
Most protein sources don’t serve us as well as we think they do. For instance, whey protein has been shown to have roughly an 18% usability rate by the human body.[2]
Eggs are around 50%, and meats tend to be around 40%.
This means that we’re not getting as much out of our protein sources as we think we are. This is especially true of people who are using whey protein. Who knew it was such a weak source of protein?
Luckily there’s Fortagen, and excellent product that has nearly a 100% absorption rate. It also has only 4 calories per serving, which makes it an excellent supplement to take when fasting.
Goat Colostrum
This one probably sounds a little hokey, but hear me out.
I started taking goal colostrum because I wanted to see if it would help boost my immune system. This was during the big COVID-19 outbreak of 2020, and I wanted to strengthen my immunity if possible.
However, a different benefit arose through my use of it: I found that I had more power for my workouts. I had more energy and drive when I took it, and felt notably deflated when I didn’t.
I can’t explain it, and I’m not gonna try. I don’t know through what means it has exerted this effect on me. But I wanted to pass it along to you.
Beef Lung
This is an organ supplement by Ancestral Supplements, a great company that produces many wonderful products.
I started taking it because I was having trouble getting enough air for my workouts. I could feel that my muscles had more in them to give, but I was panting like crazy and not getting enough oxygen to sustain myself.
I started taking beef lung, and it (along with Cordyceps listed below) helped me to boost my breathing capacity. I rarely run out of breath now, even as I push my muscles to exhaustion.
The idea behind eating organs is that ‘like-supports-like,’ i.e., that a given organ provides the necessary nutrients for the corresponding organ in us. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I’ve used a lot of organ supplements for months now, and have felt wonderful effects.
Cordyceps
Cordyceps is a mushroom that is useful for improving breathing. Before it (and beef lung) I used to have a lot of trouble filling my lungs adequately. Even as a kid I’d run out of steam real fast. It was like I didn’t have enough lung power to get the job done. That’s no longer a problem with these two supplements.
Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MoFo)
This is a more hardcore supplement. It includes, among other things, beef testicles. Once again, the idea is that ‘like-supports-like’, and that thus eating beef testicles will help boost human testicles in their work. I can tell you that after starting this supplement, my energy and drive increased, my mood felt better, and my overall wellbeing improved. I’m careful never to be without this supplement.
[1] Jaquish, page 53