Don't want to think about it
Four combinations that do specific jobs. Pick the one that matches where you are right now, run it for eight weeks, then decide for yourself.
If you take nothing else
Four items. Under a dollar a day at most price points. This is where every man I work with starts, and most never need to leave it.
NOW Foods
The most-studied sports supplement there is. Supports strength output, training volume, and cellular hydration. Cheap, boring, and it works.
Skip the loading phase. Skip anything labeled HCl at four times the price.
Sports Research
Most men who train indoors are low. Supports bone density, immune function, and normal testosterone production. K2 belongs in the same capsule, because it directs calcium where it should go.
Get a blood panel first. Dose to your labs, not to a bottle.
NOW Foods
Involved in hundreds of enzymatic processes, including muscle relaxation and sleep quality. Glycinate is the form that absorbs without sending you to the bathroom.
Oxide is the cheap form. It is a laxative, not a supplement.
Sports Research
Supports cardiovascular health, joint comfort, and brain function. The Western plate runs heavy on omega 6 and light on this.
Check the actual EPA/DHA on the back panel, not the '1,000 mg fish oil' on the front.
The highest-leverage stack here
You will feel this one inside a week. Sleep is where the bodywork sets, where the training consolidates, and where presence gets rebuilt.
NOW Foods
Involved in hundreds of enzymatic processes, including muscle relaxation and sleep quality. Glycinate is the form that absorbs without sending you to the bathroom.
Oxide is the cheap form. It is a laxative, not a supplement.
NOW Foods
Supports the drop in core body temperature that lets you fall asleep, and the quality of sleep once you're there. Cents per serving.
Stacks cleanly with magnesium. Most underrated item on this page.
NOW Foods
Supports alpha brain wave activity, the state you are after in standing practice. Takes the edge off caffeine without dulling it.
The one supplement that plays two positions well.
Nutricost
The compound behind chamomile's reputation. Supports the transition into sleep for men whose minds don't shut off on command.
Third leg of the glycine + magnesium stack.
Iron and Qi, supported
For the man already doing the work: lifting heavy, standing in practice, and asking his body for more than it is used to giving.
NOW Foods
The most-studied sports supplement there is. Supports strength output, training volume, and cellular hydration. Cheap, boring, and it works.
Skip the loading phase. Skip anything labeled HCl at four times the price.
California Gold Nutrition
Food first. But most men miss their protein target by 40 grams a day, and a shake closes that gap without a fight.
Isolate if dairy sits heavy on you. Grass fed is nice to have, not the point.
NOW Foods
Used for supporting oxygen utilization and endurance. The mushroom that pairs with breath work.
Stack it with the Qigong practice, not with a pre-workout.
NOW Foods
The most-studied adaptogen for supporting a healthy cortisol response, sleep, and recovery from training stress.
Some men feel flattened by it after months. If your edge dulls, cycle off.
Dr. Murray
You sweat out more than water. Most men run high on sodium and low on potassium, and this flips that ratio without a sugary drink mix. In Phoenix heat this is not optional.
A salt, not a candy stick pack. No sugar, no dyes, no 2 grams of cane sugar hiding on the back.
For the Qigong immersion
Calm attention without stimulation. What I reach for on immersion mornings and long sessions on the table.
NOW Foods
The mushroom for cognition and nerve health. Fits the practice: clear head, steady attention, no stimulation.
If the label says 'mycelial biomass,' you are buying oats. Look for fruiting body and a beta glucan number.
NOW Foods
Supports alpha brain wave activity, the state you are after in standing practice. Takes the edge off caffeine without dulling it.
The one supplement that plays two positions well.
NOW Foods
Used for supporting oxygen utilization and endurance. The mushroom that pairs with breath work.
Stack it with the Qigong practice, not with a pre-workout.
Brand TBD
Theobromine gives a slow, wide open kind of energy. No jaw clench, no crash. It opens the chest before a session.
Less a supplement than a ritual. Keep it that way.
The slow-burn vitality stack
The tonics I actually reach for. None of them hit like a stimulant. They build over weeks, the way the practice does. Give the whole shelf a month before you judge it.
BioTech Labs
A traditional preparation rich in fulvic acid and trace minerals, used to support mitochondrial energy, stamina, and hormonal balance. Steady, not a stimulant.
This category is full of contaminated product. Buy tested resin or extract only. Heavy metal testing is not negotiable here.
Anthony's Goods
Andean root used traditionally to support energy, mood, and libido. Black maca is the darkest, most sought-after variety. It carries a malted, butterscotch note that hides well in a shake.
Give it a month. It's cumulative, not immediate.
Wild & Organic
Pine pollen is a traditional tonic used to support vitality and hormonal balance in men. A glycerin tincture absorbs fast and skips the alcohol burn.
Cycle it like the other tonics. A few weeks on, a week off.
Dr. Murray
Black seed (Nigella sativa) is one of the oldest remedies on record. Standardized to thymoquinone, the active compound, it supports a healthy immune and inflammatory response, cardiometabolic health, and a steady cortisol curve.
Standardization is the whole game. A generic black seed oil with no thymoquinone number is just expensive salad oil.
One rule
Add one thing at a time. If you start four supplements on a Monday and feel different by Friday, you have learned nothing.
How I decide what makes this site →
