Bob's Red Pill #14 - Men's Health
by Crypto Psi
This one’s for the fellas — ladies, click out of this window immediately.
It’s rough out there for us men on planet Earth. Not only are we under constant chemical assault (why are +90% of modern chemicals estrogenic lol), we’ve lost the lifestyle adjuvants that keep us hormonally happy and sane. Any discussion of these problems has become inherently “right-wing”, as evidenced by bizarre headlines like “exercise, the new darling of the alt-right”, et cetera. There’s endless discussion on where this strange cultural propaganda stems from. We’re going to avoid that and just decide that being a man is good, and becoming the best man that you can be is incredible. Conversely, failing to fully embrace masculinity sucks and feels bad. Simple.
There are large swaths of research showing men are much more honest and helpful, better fathers and husbands, better members of society in general when hormonally healthy. It’s been a Rare Candy “joke” for years that the most dangerous men are the ones with low testosterone, contrary to general public sentiment. Most men who improve their situation anecdotally agree — they begin to get their life in order, take calculated risks that pay off, and work harder on their goals.
I went through a rough phase, before I learned the very basics of supplementation, where I lived two years in a snowy winter climate and likely tanked my testosterone/DHT levels. As a man, nothing feels worse. It seems that most men go through a quarter-life crisis these days, perhaps have sexual performance issues far too young (in their 20s), and need to learn from the ground up how to be a man, how to create a man. I can hardly stand to think about the poor men who are loaded with SSRIs for “depression” when a simple powerlifting regimen and vitamin D would solve 80% of their issues (not financial advice).
Yet those offering to lift men up out of hormonal purgatory often give bad outdated advice, settle for reductionist biological views and overly complex supplement stacks, ignore the more spiritual and esoteric aspects of masculinity, and leave a lot of self-improvement on the table. This article will attempt to help you avoid some of these pitfalls. That being said, I still trust a guy giving advice on how to be a man albeit imperfectly (the oft-vilified bro-scientist), over someone telling you to ignore the problem all-together any day of the week.
“Testosterone”
Testosterone has become a meme — and I love it, let’s not pretend it isn’t hilarious. Calling someone or something “low T” hits like nothing else, and is often all too accurate. I’m man enough to admit that I’ve experienced wild swings in my male hormone levels, particularly in my early 20s, which is quite sad. When I first lived in a winter climate, supplementing exactly zero IUs of vitamin D, zero mg of zinc, getting zero intense exercise after an adolescence of daily workouts, my manhood absolutely crashed — and predictably, I felt like garbage. Just fixing the aforementioned three deficiencies was enough to make a world of difference in my mood. These are still my first recommendations to anyone asking for help. Nothing groundbreaking, but absolutely fundamental.
Testosterone isn’t the only male hormone, nor is it the most powerful. High testosterone levels don’t necessarily produce what we would call a “high T” effect, and moderate T levels don’t necessarily mean moderate manhood. Testosterone can convert into estrogen, a natural process that can become perverted to your detriment. Yet completely decimating estrogen levels in a man can destroy your sex drive, as many biohackers have discovered. Broad point being, hormones are extremely complex, and this complexity commands respect when attempting to improve one’s health. That being said, some simple changes can absolutely transform a man’s life.
Free T and other nuances
You may have heard that free testosterone is the desired form. This is true. Amazingly, only about 2-3% of testosterone is available at any given time to act upon receptors. The rest are bound by sex hormone binding globulin, or SHBG. Keeping SHBG in check will naturally free more testosterone to act within your body.
Testosterone receptor sensitivity is also crucial. A moderate T level man with high receptor sensitivity will beat out a high T - low receptor sensitivity man in subjective feel most of the time. In other words, having high T levels is only half the battle. Many men with high T levels have reported not feeling like they should — this is a big reason why.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is starting to gain more awareness in men’s health circles, and for good reason. It is far more powerful of a masculinizing hormone than testosterone. DHT appears to be the real crucial hormone for male development during puberty.
Many of the modalities that increase testosterone will naturally increase DHT, keep SHBG low, and increase receptor sensitivity. However, by keeping these three nuances in mind, you can design a lifestyle that will naturally max out these biological processes to your advantage.
It’s highly likely that you’ve heard all of this before — yet I still see guys online constantly falling for reductionist testosterone science and simple hacks to fix it, which ultimately will fail in the long run. It’s not hard or expensive to get to the bottom of the male hormone issue, and hitting the right targets will save you years of wasted effort.
Effort
We all know intuitively that hard work and effort are a crucial part of being a man. Introducing systems of intense effort can trigger a feedback loop of positive emotions and well-being. Perhaps the best example of this is lifting heavy weights.
From a biochemical perspective, it appears the real prize of lifting weights is increased androgen receptor sensitivity. Start lifting now if you aren’t already, because the rich get richer in this regard, and with some discipline you’ll hit a real positive spiral of hormonal enhancement. Lifting weights with zero supplementation is superior to the perfect supplement stack combined with no or even lukewarm weight lifting. Such is the power of androgen receptor sensitivity. After years of neglecting weights, the feeling of pure joy returned immediately upon restarting the habit.
Learn how to do classic explosive olympic barbell lifts from a competent expert. My all-time favorite exercise is the power clean with a standard barbell. This lift changed my life as an adolescent 15 year old athlete. I became obsessed with the power clean, I liked the challenge and learning curve of the technique, and it made me feel fantastic. I was able to cut my 40 yard dash time by half a second in the off-season, and I credit the explosive clean almost entirely.
The clean is unique in its combination of pure strength combined with mastery of technique. For an athlete like myself, not gifted with pure strength, the clean was a fast track to overall athletic (and mental) improvement. While I enjoy kettlebell swings these days as well, barbell lifts will always be the center of my routine. It’s easy to get a full bench-squat-deadlift-clean program completed in 30 minutes, 3 days a week, leaving time for kettlebells, ring exercises, sprints, and bodyweight exercises.
Once proficient in basic barbell lifts, there’s something extremely satisfying about adding 2.5-5 pounds of weight to your lifts, week in and week out, for several years. It’s addicting. Don’t fade the gym-bros on this one, they are 100% correct in their prescription — and of course, don’t skip leg day.
Intake
Supplements are key for optimizing male hormonal health. However, basic nutrition beats out a neurotic supplement program . . . and of course, a rigorous exercise routine beats out a perfect nutrition/supplement stack! Yet everyone wants to reverse this priority pyramid and experiment with endless capsules. I’m so guilty of this, lol! Look, put it this way: if your daily supplement quantity outnumbers the maximum number of pull-ups you can do in one set, immediately stash your supplements and get obsessed with the pull-up bar. If you can do two pull-ups, you’re allowed to take vitamin D and zinc. If you add a rep to your max, add some magnesium glycinate. Another rep a week later earns perhaps an experimental herb incorporated into your stack. This simple heuristic will get your priorities straight.
That being said, there are some key supplements and herbs that truly work. Many have taken this search much further than I ever will, yet I often observe that these guys miss some of the most important shit. I cannot stress enough, don’t get lost in the weeds with your physical intake of foods, supplements, and powders. Better yet, experiment with different modalities like a man would — reject neuroticism, perfectionism, and orthorexia in favor of fun, joy, and discipline. Put what you put in your mouth in its proper place: of utmost importance, and paradoxically, simultaneously, not that big of a deal!
Boron is a cheap and easy way to keep your T free. Many men find it truly gets them over the hump after spinning their wheels with supplementation
Magnesium is crucial for every human. You’ll never be fully yourself without it. Increase your green veggies substantially and consider a form of supplemental magnesium.
Zinc changed my life forever. Male sexual fluid requires lots of zinc. Zinc also inhibits aromatase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen.
I see a lot of based guys on an anti Vitamin D trip these days. From what I can glean, they basically say that sunshine is irreplaceable and Vitamin D is a poor substitute. Well duh, but let me tell you — you want to be sufficient in Vit. D year round, regardless of your ideology. That’s why it’s called a supplement.
Jing Herbs like He Sho Wu, Schizandra, Rehmannia, Cordyceps, Cistanche, Epimedium, Morinda, Eucommia Bark, Deer Antler, and others are the true underrated superstars of the pro-masculine movement. I see guy take all sorts of wild experimental stuff who have never experienced a good He Sho Wu extract. Shame, they’re missing out on thousands of years of careful study into masculine enhancement. Epimedium is Horny Goat Weed, which in spite of its 7-11 gas station pill connotation, is a serious herb with rich history. Give it a try.
Tongkat Ali + Shilajit + Tribulus all have potential to max out hormonal production. Once you master the basics, give them a shot. I can’t stand insufferable “science based” fitness YouTubers who trash these herbs while recommending TRT injections. By all means, take TRT if it calls to you, it can change your life for the better. Yet as man men will emphatically claim, so can Tongkat Ali extract.
Greens and other nitrous oxide boosters increase bloodflow. Reversing heart disease can reverse male genital arterial blockage at the same time, curing ED in many an older man.
Semen Retention
Another thing being rediscovered by social media users in the 21st century that originated with Taoist monks and the emperors they instructed. This is a particularly hot topic of discussion for some reason, and it seems to be very easy to make fun of the guys who obsess over “SR”. I understand why, they are often crazy zealots. Look, SR works, and *no judgements* if you’re addicted to pornography and want to change, it can transform your life.
I recommend men start a one-week cycle of retaining, and perhaps stretch to two weeks after some practice. Research has shown a very high T boost after about a week of retention. This doesn’t mean you can’t engage in intercourse. You might get thrown down the rabbit hole of delaying premature male emissions, channeling your sexual energy during sex, and perhaps even attaining male multiple orgasms without male fluid (and energy) loss — but that is beyond the scope of this piece. I can assure you that this is one of the most rewarding areas of growth possible for a man. Don’t be embarrassed to improve this area of your life.
SR practitioners (of the reddit variety) fail because they obsess over the “number of days” of their “streak”, and miss the broader point of retaining and channeling male sexual energy. Read a Mantak Chia book for God’s sake — you won’t regret it.
Final Thoughts
We’ve all witnessed the overly intellectual, hyper-supplemented man, a pain in the ass to be around, acts like a chick in every way except the most superficial veneer of masculinity. Maybe we’ve been that guy to some extend. We all intuitively know that the map is not the territory, and the finger pointing at the moon isn’t the main attraction. Avoid embodying this archetype, even if you find joy in experimenting with herbs and supplements.
We also have all met the man that radiates a peaceful, content, yet perhaps dangerous-under-the-surface masculinity. Perhaps he’s 5’5” and sells car insurance, but his whole family respects him and he commands a room. He eats well and exercises but doesn’t obsess. He embodies what others are striving to attain, effortlessly.
Aim to have a few of these types of guys in your life, just to learn how to act in this world. They can teach you more than any article or book can — and if you have the opportunity to be this guy to the younger crowd as you age, embrace it. The world needs this kind of mentorship. I wish you success in whatever your goals are in this area, and hope that they are guided by a desire to do good on this Earth.
To your health!
-Psi
Could you provide dosages?