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.
Brand TBD
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.
Brand TBD
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.
Brand TBD
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.
Brand TBD
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.
Brand TBD
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.
Brand TBD
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.
Brand TBD
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.
Brand TBD
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.
Brand TBD
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.
Brand TBD
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.
Brand TBD
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
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.
Brand TBD
You sweat out more than water. Sodium and potassium drive hydration, blood pressure regulation, and muscle contraction. In Phoenix this is not optional.
If it has 2 g of sugar and 40 mg of sodium, it's candy.
For the Qigong immersion
Calm attention without stimulation. What I reach for on immersion mornings and long sessions on the table.
Brand TBD
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.
Brand TBD
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.
Brand TBD
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.
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 →