Three Testosterone Boosters (that actually work)

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2023. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter! Stefan Burns YouTube

Effective natural testosterone boosting herbs exist and can help you reach that next level, whether that’s improved athletic performance and general health, better libido and virility, an amelioration of mental health issues like anxiety and depression, and in general more confidence and swag.

Author Stefan Burns 405 lb Deadlift at 170 lbs bodyweight - 12/28/2022

Testosterone is a hormone produced primarily in the testicles but also in the adrenal glands, and it governs over lean body tissue by increasing muscle mass, bone density, and by reducing and redistributing body fat. Testosterone also has neurocognitive effects and stimulates higher-risk higher-reward seeking behaviors. Testosterone is one of the most important hormones for male development, and while this article is geared towards men, testosterone is also an important hormone for women. Low testosterone levels in women can lead to a loss in libido and reduced bone density as well as hormonal problems. Low testosterone levels in men and women can result in mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

Testosterone is a vitally important hormone, an average testosterone levels have been declining in men for decades, and it also generally declines with age for men in western populations (1), though age related testosterone decline doesn’t appear to happen when exceptional health is maintained (2). There are many factors which have caused this, the biggest being changing western culture itself which doesn’t incentivize testosterone-stimulating behaviors as much anymore. Other testosterone reducing factors include circadian rhythm disruptions (like excess blue light at night and low light in the morning) and excess xenoestrogens entering into the body from plastics and phthalates.

The same question is often asked by men who have checked their testosterone levels and find that they are low and also by men who in the normal range and are looking to gain every masculine advantage, and it is:

“Is there a natural safe way to raise testosterone levels effectively and noticeably?”

The answer to this question is a definitive YES, and in this article we’ll discuss three herbs which actually boost testosterone levels, and they are cistanche, tongkat ali, and ashwagandha.

In the expandable section below I present some valuable foundational information on the limitations and potentials of hormone modulating herbs, or if you want to get right to learning more about these three herbs which have good scientific evidence supporting their testosterone boosting properties which I have also personally tested, then keep scrolling.

• Important Considerations on Hormone Modulating Herbs

  There is a lot of contradictory information on this topic which makes things confusing for people learning about natural ways to support and optimize hormone levels. It’s a common misconception that no effective natural testosterone boosters exist, and that any herbal supplement labeled as a testosterone booster is a scam. To clear the water in order to find the testosterone boosting herbs that do work, we must first identify what is making the water “cloudy” in the first place:

  1. Well-designed scientific investigations into the biophysiological effects of many herbs are severely lacking, many of the studies that have been done haven’t been replicated by other research groups, and sometimes replication studies showed contradictory effects (possibly due to poor study design, limited sample sizes, and biologic differences amongst research participants).

  2. Few human studies exist, most are done with mice/rats, and often these studies examined just the effect of supplementing with the main active compound in an herb rather than the entire herb, which is a major confounding variable.

  3. Well-known herbs like maca and horny goat weed have libido enhancing effects and can help with erectile dysfunction, which makes people believe it’s raising their testosterone levels, but no strong evidence supports this (3, 4).

  Against this backdrop it’s widely recognized and accepted that plants/herbs like soy and licorice root contain biologically relevant phytoestrogens (5, 6).

  The truth of the matter is that many tens of thousands of unique plant phytochemicals exist, each with their own diverse biologic effects, and some of these are endocrine system adaptogens which raise/lower hormone levels. Estrogenic herbs exist and androgenic herbs also exist.

  The safety of a testosterone boosting herb is also important. For example the South African herb Bulbine Natalensis, traditionally used as an aphrodisiac, appears to be a very potent testosterone booster (in rats, 7), but the 10:1 extract doses used to boost testosterone levels the most (50 mg/kg for rats, human equivalent dose is 8mg/kg bodyweight) have evidence of elevating liver and kidney enzymes which indicates stress to the liver and kidneys, while also causing some unfavorable lobules and tubules to develop (8). More research is clearly needed.

  Boosting testosterone levels is one thing, being healthy is another, and the two don’t have to be in opposition to each other but instead can occur in tandem. Having adequate testosterone levels, especially as a man, is a key part of being optimally healthy and living a long life.

Here are the basic requirements as I see it for any testosterone-boosting herb to fulfill that you’re considering to use:

1. Stimulates testosterone production and increases free testosterone levels while keep estrogen levels healthy

2. Contains phytochemical antioxidants which are health beneficial and keeps the body in a safe anti-inflammatory state

3. Has a long history of traditional use and is safe when used at effective dosages

Cistanche, tongkat ali, and ashwagandha nicely fulfill these requirements, and we’ll start with the herb I have the most personal experience with and I have noticed to be the most potent…cistanche.

Cistanche - A Mega Testosterone Booster

Cistanche is a genus of perennial herbs consisting of 22 known species that grow in arid deserts throughout Eurasia. Cistanche is unique in that it’s a parasitic plant that draws water and nutrients from its host plant. In Traditional Chinese Medicine Cistanche is considered the “ginseng of the desert” and is used primarily to correct yang (androgen) deficiency (9).

Cistanche deserticola and Cistanche tubulosa are the two main species of cistanche that are harvested and prepared into herbal supplements and extracts. They only differ slightly in the composition of their chemical constituents, and Cistanche tubulosa is more commonly found as a supplement than Cistanche deserticola.

Recommended Cistanche Supplement

The most basic form of cistanche is a raw powder made from the stem of the plant. Most cistanche supplements are extracts created from this raw powder, condensing the main active constituents and standardizing them to certain percentages.

Nootropics Depot sells a Cistanche tubulosa supplement, available as a powder or in capsules, which has been standardized to contain minimum 50% echinacoside + 10% acetoside, the two main testosterone-boosting chemicals identified in cistanche.

I have used this specific cistanche supplement many times and prefer it over others on the market because it’s highly effective, isn’t extremely bitter (like others are), and contains the highest percentages of phytochemicals echinacoside and acetoside.

With cistanche I boosted my free testosterone by 53% in just 30 days as part of a self-designed cistanche and cholesterol protocol. Click that link if you’d like to learn more about the protocol (so you can try it yourself) and to see my results which include my before and after free testosterone levels, gym log, and DEXA lean body mass scans.

What does Cistanche do?

In addition to raising free testosterone levels, cistanche also works beneficially with the brain and kidneys, has metabolism boosting effects, simulates the immune system, and is a potent aphrodisiac. Yeah it’s a pretty great combo for most men in the modern world we live in!

• Cistanche and Testosterone

  Cistanche stimulates testosterone production by improving the transport of cholesterol (the base molecule of all hormones) to the testosterone-producing Leydig cells of the testes. Cistanche also appears to increase the gene expression which signals for greater testosterone production. Acteoside also has an antiestrogenic effect by modulating the conversion of testosterone into estrogen, a necessary feature for an effective and safe testosterone booster. Learn more about how cistanche boosts testosterone with this article that goes in-depth.

• Cistanche Brain Interactions

  Cistanche improves brain health by preventing neuron cell death, promotes neurogenesis, limits amyloid plaque deposition, and increases dopamine, noadrenaline, and serotonin neurotransmitter concentrations in the brain. These factors make cistanche useful for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and brain fog. It’s a combination of cistanche’s effects on the brain and sex organs that make it one of the best natural libido enhancing herbs.

• Cistanche Metabolic Interactions

  Cistanche improves metabolism by enhancing mitochondrial function, remedying Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction (aka chronic fatigue syndrome), improving the resiliency of lactic acid and blood urea nitrogen pathways, and in general by increasing autonomic nervous system activity. The adrenal glands produce both cholesterol and testosterone, and it’s not uncommon for certain testosterone boosters to overly stress the adrenals, leading to chronic fatigue, and this makes cistanche’s protective effect on the adrenal glands highly valuable.

• Cistanche and Immunity

  Cistanche improves immunity by increasing the kill rate of cancer cells, stimulating the proliferation of antibodies, beneficially modulating memory T cells, and by activating the phagocytic (engulfing) function of macrophages. As a herb containing powerful antioxidants cistanche prevents DNA damage and unwarranted cellular apoptosis (cell death).

• Cistanche as an Aphrodisiac

  Cistanche has a notable aphrodisiac effect because it triggers the release of dopamine in parts of the brain responsible for sexual arousal, by improving the functions of the testes, by reducing latency periods in-between erections, and through its general vaso-relaxing properties. Cistanche increases sperm count, increases their motility, and reduces the amount of abnormal sperm.

How does Cistanche Work?

Cistanche has these many different and beneficial biologic effects because of the unique phytochemicals it contains. The most notable of these are phenylethanoid glycosides, echinacoside, acteoside, and tubuloside B.

Firstly, these compounds and others like flavonoids are strong antioxidants. An antioxidant is a compound has the ability to give away a free electron to stop an electron-deficient free radical compound from oxidizing something. This process makes the body more stable at the atomic scale. Antioxidants keep certain chemicals which are naturally more unstable (because they have multiple receptors they need to be able to bind to, like dopamine and testosterone) protected from oxidation and this improves cellular signaling and functioning. It’s partly because cistanche (and the other two herbs tongkat ali and ashwagandha) keep the body in a more anti-inflammatory state that the body is then able to secrete valuable hormones and neurotransmitters like testosterone and dopamine without fear of them being oxidized and therefore squandered.

Cistanche also alters gene expression to upregulate steroidogenesis and cholesterol transport which results in more testosterone being produced by the Leydig cells of the testes. Testosterone can be better protected from oxidation by being bound to SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin), and in a more overall anti-inflammatory environment, more free testosterone can safely float around allowing for greater androgenic masculinization effects to occur. In effect, men can better be men, and for women this can improve fertility and make pregnancy possible.

Phytochemicals also interact directly with cells and the microbiome, which adds another layer of depth to how cistanche works that is still poorly understood and requires more scientific research.

Dosing Instructions for Cistanche

If using the Nootropics Depot Cistanche Supplement, the serving size is 200 mg, and that is a good dose to begin with. Take the cistanche on a relatively empty stomach in the morning or at night. I typically stir it into my morning coffee alongside other herbs like chaga mushroom, cinnamon, and cacao.

If you are a larger individual (>200 lbs, 90 kg), or you’re not noticing the effects of the cistanche after a week or two, you can increase the dose to 400 mg, taken either once daily or split into two 200 mg doses morning and night.

Personally while I find the masculinizing effects of cistanche quite obvious, I also find that it’s a gentle herb that the body tolerates well and can be used for extended periods of time. Its effects build up smoothly and leisurely and are harsh and sudden like other tonifying yang herbs.

For first time users I recommend cycling off cistanche for the duration of your first use. For example if you supplement with cistanche for thirty days, then refrain from using it or any other testosterone booster for thirty days afterwards. It’s better to play it safe and this allows you to more clearly establish what effects you felt/noticed.

Cistanche is well-tolerated and safe in larger doses, which allows for megadosing in the 600-800 mg range (with the Nootropics Depot supplement), as I have done myself, but this should only even be considered by experienced users and for those with larger bodyweights (>75 kg).

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If you’re interested in learning more about cistanche, which I would recommend if you plan on purchasing and using the herb, then click the button below to be taken to the main herb encyclopedia page for cistanche.

Tongkat Ali - A Popular Testosterone Booster

Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia) is a plant native to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia with a long history of use in the traditional medicine use. Tongkat ali is also known as Malaysian ginseng or “long jack”, and its traditional uses are for improving libido and as an aphrodisiac, and for the treatment of malaria (10).

The roots and bark of Tongkat ali contain the highest levels of its main active compound, eurycomanone, and its typically the roots that are harvested and prepared for use. As with any herb, it’s the entourage effect of Tongkat Ali’s unique phytochemical flavonoids, quassinoids, terpenes, and others that determine its biologic effects.

Recommended Tongkat Ali Supplement

Tongkat ali supplements range from a raw powder to highly concentrated and standardized extracts. Tongkat ali contains a lot of bitterants (i.e. plant compounds that are highly bitter tasting) and thus the best tongkat ali supplements strike the right balance of retaining their raw phytochemistry while also undergoing a level of extraction which increases the concentration of eurycomanone while reducing bitter flavors.

Nootropics Depot sells two versions of tongkat ali to consider. They sell a tongkat ali powder supplement standardized to contain 2% eurycomanone, also available as capsules, and then they also sell a more potent tongkat ali capsule supplement which contains 10% eurycomanone.

If you plan on supplementing tongkat ali daily for an extended period of time for its testosterone boosting, cognitive enhancing, and immunity properties, then I recommend you use the 2% eurycomanone powder as many herbs have a U-shaped efficacy curve. What that means is that the sweet spot for the greatest biologic effects is in the middle dosing range, and if more is administered beyond that it becomes less effective.

I recommend the 10% eurycomanone tongkat ali capsules if you are specifically interested in the aphrodisiac and libido-enhancing properties of tongkat ali. For this type of use-case, you could take it 2-3 hours before you expect the fun to begin, so for example at the beginning of a date night. Alternatively the more highly concentrated tongkat ali supplement sold by Nootropics Depot would also be good to take as a one-off before an event where additional masculine energy would be beneficial, say for a sales presentation, night on the town, or before a fitness event.

What does Tongkat Ali do?

The most notable effects that tongkat ali has is its ability to raise testosterone levels while keeping estrogen levels in-line and its general libido-enhancing effect. Like cistanche and ashwagandha though, tongkat ali has other beneficial biologic effects you may be interested in and wish to use it for.

• Tongkat Ali and Testosterone

  Tongkat ali is such an effective testosterone booster because its improves androgen steroidogensis across multiple pathways. Evidence shows that tongkat ali raises total testosterone levels by directly enhancing steroidogenesis in testicular Leydig cells. Additionally tongkat ali unbinds testosterone from SHBG (or inhibits its binding), allowing a greater quantity of free testosterone to circulate throughout the body. The eurypeptides of tongkat ali, most notably eurycomanone, stimulate dihydroepiandosterone (DHEA) which initiates the conversion of precursor hormones into testosterone and estrogen. It’s also been shown that tongkat ali influences the aromatization of testosterone into estrogen by limiting the actions of aromatase, thereby keeping testosterone levels elevated in the body.

  All of these factors together make tongkat ali one of the best natural testosterone boosters currently known to man.

• Tongkat Ali Brain Interactions

  Tongkat ali interacts with the brain and nervous system in a few ways, most notably through neurotransmitter modulation. Tongkat ali increases dopamine concentrations in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal regions, the parts of the brain responsible for higher cognitive processes and memory & learning respectively. Higher dopamine concentrations enhances muscular control, motivation and reward circuits, and improve intra-cellular communication.

  Tongkat ali contains many plant antioxidants, many of which are able to pass through the blood-brain barrier, and through this mechanism tongkat ali has a neuroprotective effect.

• Tongkat Ali Immunity Improvements

  In general antioxidant phytochemicals improve the functioning of the immune system, and tongkat ali has been shown to be cytotoxic and have antiproliferative properties on certain cancer cell lines and tumors such as breast, gastric, cervical, and lung cancers.

  One of the main traditional uses of tongkat ali is to help fight off a malarial infection, malaria being caused by a parasite introduced to the body by mosquitoes. Eurycomanone and other phytochemicals found in tongkat ali in research settings have shown significant antimalarial properties by inhibiting the growth of P. falciparum malaria parasite strains.

• Tongkat Ali for Male Infertility

  Tongkat helps remedy male infertility, an increasing problem, through a variety of mechanisms. First through its modulation of brain neurotransmitter concentrations it stimulates arousal pathways in the brain which trigger the autonomic nervous system to stimulate an erection. Tongkat ali is useful to remedy erectile dysfunction, can make erections bigger and harder, and it reduces the latency period in-between erections.

  Not only does tongkat ali help improve the functioning of male “hardware”, but it also increases semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, and improves sperm morphology (aka reduces defective sperm).

How does Tongkat Ali Work?

Tongkat ali contains a rich assortment of plant phytochemicals which have various biologic effects, the most prominent being quassinoids like eurycomanone. These phytochemicals interact with the microbiome of the gut and cells directly, influencing the biologic activities that happen at the cellular level. Through electromagnetic interactions phytochemicals like eurycomanone alter gene expression. Herbs assist the body in upregulating the activation of genetic instructions it already has, and in this way you can see how tongkat ali or the other testosterone boosters cistanche and ashwagandha simply unlock your latent genetic potential. With good diet and lifestyle habits in place, it’s possible that natural herbal testosterone boosters permanently upregulate androgen steroidogenesis, even after cessation of the herb, though this is speculation of a “water tends to flow down a well-cut stream” nature and research is needed to confirm the effect.

The abundant antioxidants found in tongkat ali support this whole process and help maintain a stable cellular and atomic environment throughout the body. Put simply, tongkat ali is an herb that makes it easier to be masculine while not being dangerous like exogenous steroids are.

Dosing Instructions for Tongkat Ali

The serving size for the Tongkat ali powder sold by Nootropics Depot is 200 mg, standardized to 2% eurycomanone but overall containing >2% eurypeptides as eurycomanone is just one of many eurypeptides. If using this brand of tongkat ali start supplementation with 100 mg for 1 week and then increase to 200 mg afterwards. If no noticeable effects are felt at the standard serving size or you’re a larger individual then the dosage can be increased to 200 mg twice daily (morning and night). One way to know it’s working as a guy is if you’re waking up frequently with a stiffy.

Since tongkat ali contains so many bitterants you may find its taste unpleasant. For this reason I either mix it into a small shot glass of water or milk and shoot it back. I find that following that with a shot of apple cider vinegar, followed by another of just water, helps. Slightly unpleasant but over quickly, and having a shot of apple cider vinegar daily is good for the microbiome and metabolism.

Like with cistanche, tongkat ali also goes well with a cup of coffee, with any bitterness being easily dealt with by the addition of a sweetener like honey. Cistanche is the testosterone-boosting herb I add to my nootropic coffee, but tongkat ali works well here too as the two are very similar to each other.

It’s best to take tongkat ali on a relatively empty stomach so it is absorbed into the bloodstream effectively and without delay.

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If you’re interested in learning more about tongkat ali, which I would recommend if you plan on purchasing and using the herb, then click the button below to be taken to the main herb encyclopedia page for tongkat ali.

Ashwagandha - A Mild Testosterone Booster

Ashwagandha is a well-known adaptogenic herb in ayurvedic medicine also known as “Indian ginseng”, understood to be a powerful tonic, aphrodisiac, anti-parasitic, and useful for various brain disorders (11). The roots are the most common part of Withania somnifera to be used, with the word ashwagandha meaning “odor of a horse” and it’s also traditionally believed that consuming ashwagandha imbues one with the power of a horse.

The main active phytochemicals found in ashwagandha are alkaloids, lactones, and saponins, with the most notable being withanolide lactones. Together these phytonutrients and others broadly influence the function of the cognitive, immune, metabolic, digestive, and reproductive systems via the entourage effect. If you are only interested in mildly raising your testosterone levels, balancing out your overall hormone profile, while also enjoying many other health benefits all from one supplement, then ashwagandha is one of the best herbs to use.

Recommended Ashwagandha Supplement

Ashwagandha is a very popular supplement and thus many different types of the herb exist on the market, from chopped root and raw powder to highly extracted versions like KSM-66 ashwagandha.

It’s not uncommon to find anecdotal reports online of people who supplement with ashwagandha to help with their libido for example only to find it completely disappear on them, and from my observations it seems this happens most commonly with the highly extracted versions of the herb like the KSM-66 ashwagandha. As stated earlier, the most effective doses typically lay in the middle of the U-shaped efficacy curve, and it’s mostly likely over-supplementation of ashwagandha that causes these unexpected oppositional effects.

For this reason I recommend taking either a raw ashwagandha powder like that sold by Mountain Rose Herbs or just a lightly extracted version like that sold by Nootropics Depot. The 12% withanolides ashwagandha powder sold by Nootropics Depot sits nicely in the U-curve “sweet spot” and is easily dosed up or down depending on your needs.

If you are interested in an ashwagandha supplement that has a higher concentration of withanolides, then Nootropics Depot also sells a 35% withanolide Shoden ashwagandha powder. As long as you are precise with your dosing, either version can be used.

Some quick back-of-the-napkin calculations show that at current prices (01/2023), the 12% withanolide powder comes out to 300 mg withanolides per dollar if purchasing the 60 gram tub (the largest), whereas the shoden 35% withanolide powder comes out to 260 mg withanolides per dollar if purchasing the 30 gram tub (the largest).

Withanolide percentages can vary widely between different ashwagandha products (12) depending on a variety of factors like their cultivation and processing, and for this reason a standardized extract ashwagandha from a reputable supplier is typically preferable over a raw powder.

What does Ashwagandha do?

One of the main effects of ashwagandha is that it increases parasympathetic nervous system activity. If you’re stressed and/or engaged in energetic pathways, then your sympathetic “fight or flight” nervous system is dominant. This causes the adrenal glands to release cortisol and changes the expression of the overall hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The average person in western society engages their sympathetic nervous system more often than their parasympathetic nervous system, and over the long term this autonomic nervous system imbalance leads to many chronic health conditions such as sleep issues, heart disease, thyroid problems, chronic fatigue syndrome, and more. Learn how to balance the autonomic nervous system.

Ashwagandha is such a valuable natural herbal supplement because it assist in balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The reason ashwagandha has only been shown to increase testosterone levels on average by 10-15% is because it’s primary action is on the adrenal glands, which in addition to producing cortisol also produce testosterone in small quantities. Ashwagandha for example has been shown to reduce the cortisol response of stressful situations (13), like an endurance event to complete exhaustion, thereby destressing the adrenal glands which improves their resource management and functioning. Through its modulation of cortisol and other hormones, ashwagandha improves sleep, makes it easier to rest and relax,

In addition to this ashwagandha also benefits the brain, immune system, and the digestive system.

• Ashwagandha and the Brain

  Ashwagandha is a powerful cognitive aid because it interacts with the brain in a variety of beneficial ways. Ashwagandha has a balancing action on neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin and normalizes dopamine levels to normal. Ashwagandha inhibits nerve cells from over-firing and intensifies acetylcholine, glutathione, and secretase enzyme activity. Overall ashwagandha has been shown to be comparable to pharmaceutical drugs in its ability to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and to stabilize mood. Ashwagandha also inhibits the production beta amyloid plaques and reverse neural decay by promoting neurogenesis and through the creation of new synaptic connections.

• Ashwagandha and Immunity

  Ashwagandha improves the functioning of the immune system by returning it to a state of normal functioning. It does this by bringing white blood cells back to normal ranges if overly elevated or suppressed while also having a powerful anti-cancer effect which inhibits the reduces the growth of tumors. The phytochemicals that ashwagandha possesses also have general antimicrobial properties.

• Ashwagandha and Digestion

  Ashwagandha improves digestion, a very important aspect of overall health and wellness as readers of Wild Free Organic should know. Ashwagandha does this by having antimicrobial and anti-parasitic properties which beneficially shift the microbiome towards greater symbiosis with its host (you). Ashwagandha also simulates digestive action, reduces flatulence, and has a strong effect in preventing and healing stress-induced gastric ulcers.

How does Ashwagandha Work?

Ashwagandha has these many health benefits because of its unique phytochemical profile which confer upon it adaptogenic properties which promotes balances between the different systems of the body. Overall ashwagandha is considered a tonic which revitalizes the body by correcting deficiencies and over-abundances, whether they are yin/yang or hot/cold as classified in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The benefits received from supplementing with ashwagandha depend on how long it is used for and how consistently. A single large dose of ashwagandha is useful before an endurance event, improving stamina and reducing the following stress response and cortisol dump. A large one-off dose many also be all that’s needed to stimulate an aphrodisiac effect, though that may require more consistent supplementation depending on your individual physiology. The longer term health and wellness benefits of ashwagandha, especially the neurocognitive and immunity effects, take a few weeks to begin to manifest and will be more pronounced over a 6+ month long time span.

As for it’s hormone modulation and testosterone boosting effects, it takes 2-3 months of ashwagandha supplementation to observe favorable increases in body-weight and testosterone levels.

Dosing Instructions for Ashwagandha

The most common part of Withania somnifera to use is the roots, and the dosing instructions here are for the roots (though the leaves are of a similar amount). Raw ashwagandha root is typically dosed at 300-600 mg daily for general health and wellness benefits, while it was a 5 gram raw ashwagandha root powder dose taken daily that was effective at boosting testosterone levels in men with fertility issues. This high dose of 5 grams daily for a few months showed no health complications. A sweet spot in-between these two dosage recommendations is 1 gram of ashwagandha taken daily and this is what I would recommend to athletes.

If using the Nootropics depot 12% withanolide ashwagandha supplement, start with the recommended 300 mg serving size for a few weeks before considering increasing it further to two servings taken daily, and that should only be done if no effect is observed. For the 35% withanolide Shoden Ashwagandha supplement, stick to the normal 120 mg serving size for a few weeks before any consideration of increasing the dose.

Ashwagandha is safe and well-tolerated with few if any side effects at normal dosages which provides it a degree of “wiggle room” which is useful in catering it to your unique needs and biology. If you find you respond well to lower doses of ashwagandha then stick with low doses, and if you find you require higher doses then that’s fine too so long as you’re careful and mindful of how your body is feeling.

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If you’re interested in learning more about ashwagandha, which I would recommend if you plan on purchasing and using the herb, then click the button below to be taken to the main herb encyclopedia page for ashwagandha.

Optimize your Testosterone

Cistanche, tongkat ali, and ashwagandha are three well-proven and effective testosterone-boosting herbs that are well-tolerated and safe. Comparing them side by side it’s easy to see their similarities, not only in their names of “ginseng of the desert”, “Malaysian ginseng”, and “Indian ginseng” respectively, but also in how they influence the body biologically.

All three of these herbs work simultaneously with the brain, nervous system, immune system, endocrine system, and reproductive organs. They all have energy enhancing effects whilst simultaneously promoting parasympathetic activity (feed and breed, rest and digest) which results in vaso-relaxation.

Ashwagandha helps to blunt the cortisol and stress response from extremely stressful and strenuous events, and cistanche and tongkat ali both help promote recovery and increase lean body mass. If you are cautiously interested in raising your testosterone levels, then ashwagandha is the herb to choose as it only boosts them moderately, by 10-15% on average according to the research that has been done. Tongkat ali is more potent and in my experience cistanche is the most potent testosterone booster of the three, though your individual response and results may vary.

You can purchase high-quality cistanche, tongkat ali, and ashwagandha supplements from Nootropics Depot. If you decide to make an effort to boost your testosterone levels using either of these herbs, be mindful of your lifestyle and ensure that you’re getting adequate sleep every night, eating a healthy diet, and are limiting your stressors (both internal and environmental). If you are primarily interested in boosting your testosterone levels as a way to increase your libido, then read my guide on how to increase your libido naturally.

Please share your experiences with any of these herbs in the comments below for others who may be interested in your anecdotal findings.

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11. Singh N, Bhalla M, De Jager P, Gilca M. An overview on ashwagandha: a rasayana (Rejuvenator) of ayurveda. Afr J Trad Compl Alt Med. 2011;8(5S).

12. Sangwan, R. S., et al. “Phytochemical Variability in Commercial Herbal Products and Preparations of Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha).” Current Science, vol. 86, no. 3, 2004, pp. 461–65. JSTOR,

13. Singh N, Nath R, Lata A, Singh SP, Kohli RP, Bhargava KP. withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), a rejuvenating herbal drug which enhances survival during stress(An adaptogen). International Journal of Crude Drug Research. 1982;20(1):29-35.

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More Articles on Performance

How to Balance Sympathetic and Parasympathetic States

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated April 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

The autonomic nervous system is the part of the nervous system that regulates the various mostly unconscious functions of the body such as digestion, heart rate, respiration, and sexual arousal. The two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and to a large extent these two divisions of the nervous system are antagonistic to each other.

Function of Sympathetic Nervous System

The responsibilities of the sympathetic nervous system are most easily described by the common fight or flight phase. When the body is primed for action the sympathetic nervous system is dominant. Exercising, stressful high-stakes situations, fighting, or fleeing are all examples of when the sympathetic nervous system is dominant. The release and presence of cortisol and adrenaline is another easy way to identify a sympathetic state from a parasympathetic one.

Function of Parasympathetic Nervous System

The responsibilities of the parasympathetic nervous system are most easily described by the common feed and breed and rest and digest phrases. The parasympathetic nervous system is dominant when the body is in a relaxed state. Relaxing, sleeping, and low-effort activities are all examples of when the parasympathetic nervous system is dominant. The parasympathetic nervous system also governs sexual arousal, though the autonomic nervous system may begin shifting to a sympathetic state if sexual activities become especially energetic.

While most people are aware of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, their functions, and the importance of keeping the two balanced, many people still have unbalanced nervous systems. Using everyday examples this article presents an easy to grasp methodology of how to stay balanced between sympathetic and parasympathetic states. First let’s examine the symptoms of an overly-active sympathetic and (less commonly) an overly-active parasympathetic nervous system.

Adrenal Fatigue

The entire nervous system is highly complex being composed of many different parts, from various glands of the endocrine system, to an assortment of chemicals and neurotransmitters, to neurons themselves and the ion balances they maintain in order to discharge (known as a neural spike). Whenever the nervous system is interacted with it is stressed to some degree, and this impact will tax the resources available to the system. The larger the stress to the system the larger the depletion of required components like vitamins, minerals, and neurotransmitters.

For example endurance exercise like running will causes the adrenal glands to release the hormone cortisol and also vitamin C (both useful for performance purposes_. Post exercise the adrenal glands now will replenish cortisol levels to normal by synthesizing it from cholesterol and other chemicals. A 20 minute jog will stress the adrenal glands much less than a 90 minute run. If adequate recovery and nutrition is not provided after the exercise, the body suffers but will adapt to the new reality, reducing performance capabilities. Overtime after many bouts of exercise if such disregard of keeping the natural systems well fueled and in balance continues the result is adrenal fatigue, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. The body underwent long term adaptations (like low-energy sluggishness) to the stresses of an overly active sympathetic nervous system in order to provide the body the best chance of recovery through unconscious behavioral alteration. Said another way, you’ll be less likely to exercise if you don’t feel high energy to begin with, which gives the adrenal glands a better chance of restoring themselves to proper function.

Note - For those who practice herbalism taking ashwagandha before the exercise, or later as part of a recovery protocol, could have helped prevent adrenal fatigue from developing in the first place (though certainly a good diet, enough rest, and the right mindset are the most important factors).

The adrenals are one gland of many in the endocrine (hormone) system, and the endocrine system is one part of many of the nervous system. For this reason, if balance isn’t maintained between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, the imbalance can manifest in a nearly limitless amount of ways, from reduced immunity to the development of a chronic disease.

Visualizing the Activity of the Autonomic Nervous System

In the example above with the constant endurance exercise causing adrenal fatigue it’s important to note two things. First, exercise which is a sympathetic activity is good for health and wellness when done to the proper limit which causes a beneficial adaptation. Second, after this exercise occurs it’s most advantageous to rest and refuel fairly soon afterwards.

Let’s visual various states of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity using waves. Each wave has a positive (peak) and negative (trough). A wave cannot be a wave without both parts. Sympathetic waves will be colored pink and parasympathetic waves will be colored green.

Example 1 - Laying in bed all day

If one was to wake up and continue lying in bed all day until it was time to sleep again, the wave would actually look like a straight line going deeper and deeper into parasympathetic activity.

Example 2 - Hectic day with no rest

If one was to wake up and immediately afterwards be crazy active all day fueled throughout with a few cups of coffee and no rest is taken then the wave would look like a line going upwards further and further into sympathetic nervous system activity.

In both of these simple examples we’ll note that in order to return to balance the person who slept all day should be fairly active the next (and they should have the energy for it), whereas the over-active person should rest and relax most of the following day (and they should be sufficiently tired). If these steps are taken then the full up and down of the autonomic nervous system wave would be balanced over a two day time scale rather.

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Example 3 - Lazy day with run then rest

Now let’s visualize a lazy rest day with a run in the middle. They’re doing some chores, some relaxing, it’s a fairly good balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity up to the run.

As shown, the run caused a spike in sympathetic activity and then because they rested afterwards a corresponding dip into parasympathetic activity, a healthy balance over that few hour timespan.

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Now let’s visual a hectic workday fueled by a couple cups of coffee followed by a run immediately after work. After the run two main options are present. Does the person rest enough to recover from all the go-go-go activity for the day, or do they continue around being busy and stressed? Here’s what each of these options looks like.

Example 4 - Hectic day with run & no rest

This graphic shows the person accumulated a net sympathetic balance which the body will require to be balanced out at some later point in time, the sooner the better. While that day may have been stressful, with sufficient rest the following day (like shown in the 2 day version of example 2) the body will adapt to the whole experience and health is maintained. If that day is never recovered from, and in fact that type of lifestyle continues on day after day for a couple years, then the tide that eventually flows out (deep parasympathetic rest) will be just as large as the tide of sympathetic activity that flowed in unbroken for weeks/months/years.

The required parasympathetic recuperation that the nervous system requires might finally be triggered by the onset of an illness or disease…or if the person is conscious and checks their ego they’ll catch it early and make the necessary lifestyle adjustments in order to return to optimal health and wellness.

Example 5 - Hectic day with run then rest

This graphic on the other hand shows that sympathetic and parasympathetic balance was reached on that day and no long term health effects will result. Having recovered sufficiently, the person adapted to the run and improved their future performance slightly.

The point of these examples is to impress upon you the importance of having a lifestyle that maintains sympathetic and parasympathetic balance and to typically keep the waves small. Larger waves have the potential to create more problems, so don’t create large waves yourself as life will do that for you already in abundance. If a large wave of stress comes in, like from being fired or the death of a family member, if you’re already riding a large wave of sympathetic activity then things can go south quickly.

Note - All these examples made the assumption that the person slept a restful 8 hours after the day was done. If sleep is poor then parasympathetic recovery will be reduced correspondingly and will add further complications to the matter. Learn more about the importance of sleep.

Easy Recovery Methods

We’ll return to the example of a bout of exercise to outline the strategy I follow to maintain sympathetic and parasympathetic balance across a short time scale in order to parasympathetic debt to accumulate.

• Ease into a workout with a warm-up. This primes the body for better performance by allowing time for the metabolic systems to warm up instead of being quickly jolted into a demanding sympathetic state.

• Rest after a workout with a cool-down. Once the main working sets of a workout are complete, take a short period of time to rest afterwards, whether it’s a minimum of five minutes of shavasana or a more complete thirty minute stretch session. The yogic systems teach this well, every yoga session is followed by some time lying down in shavasana (corpse pose) and deeply relaxing. Increase the efficiency of a post workout rest with healthy sun exposure if possible in order to replenish vitamin D levels in the body (important after a workout).

• If a workout is one hour long, set aside one hour of rest afterwards or later in the day. This can watching a show, reading a book, light conversation, etc. Three hours of hard physical fitness is best served with three hours of rest. This 1:1 ratio is a simple rule of thumb that can be followed, the intensity of an activity (fitness or rest) will determine exactly how much is required to balance out the demands of the other.

Sympathetic and parasympathetic fluctuations over longer time spans are harder to measure unless careful observations are continuously made. For example the demands and stresses of the first 3 months of a new job would build over time, and to recover from the sympathetic stress that accumulated would require a longer period of rest and recovery, such as a long weekend spent camping in nature and grounding. Or that stress could have been balanced out by starting a new recovery practice like grounding alongside the job.

One final relevant example would be if drinking coffee daily for 4 weeks (which increases sympathetic activity through the release of cortisol), then coffee consumption should be reduced or cycled off completely for 4 weeks or so. If that proposition sounds difficult, read my caffeine usage and tolerance reset guide.

If taking an herb like cistanche (which raises testosterone levels and therefore sympathetic activity) for performance or health reasons cycle off the herb for as long as you were using it for. This on/off strategy holds true for most supplements. Creating longer fluctuations of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity can be useful for certain endeavors, whether health or career related, just be aware that certain risk factors will increase and the proper steps should be taken to maintain balance as best as possible.

Over-active sympathetic nervous system activity is far more common than experiencing too much parasympathetic activity, so learn more useful recovery methods you can use to maintain balance by reading through our recovery focused articles:

Balancing Stress and Rest

The equation is simple, the addition of new stresses requires the addition of new recovery practices. Likewise, if lazing and grazing about all day (parasympathetic), then it would be best to introduce some sympathetic activity like walking, yoga, calisthenics, strength training, running, heat therapy via a sauna or steam room, etc into the daily routine.

The recommendations given in how to balance sympathetic and parasympathetic states is not intended to be viewed through the lens of limitation but instead seen opportunistically. Lifestyle changes may be required to better maintain a state of autonomic nervous system balance, but when those waves of beyond-our-control stressors eventually roll in, better adaptability to these challenges more than makes up for any slight conveniences that may have been sacrificed up until that moment. With time and practice, the flow of maintaining balance is felt intuitively pretty easily, and it’s not difficult to keep activity balanced with recovery. In addition to being a very important factor in the maintenance of good health, being in the flow of balance requires minimal thought and consciousness which frees up time, cognitive power, and resources for other desires and ventures.

The information presented here is a combination of biological science and my own experience learning how to maintain nervous system balance. When I was in my mid to late twenties I went through a multi-year phase of heavy strength training coupled with a disregard of performing an equivalent amount of recovery practices. I pushed my sympathetic system further and further until I was jolted to the realization that I needed to practice better management of my energy systems. I experienced adrenal fatigue and it took me about a year to really reset my nervous system back to point of health and balance by moving away from weights and by practicing a lot of yoga, meditation, and grounding. I am thankful I learned he lesson of maintaining balance when I did rather than many years down the line after greater unnecessary hardship.

Too much or too little stress/activity is a large causal factor in serious health problems like obesity, infectious diseases, and chronic diseases, so if you respect your physiological and psychological need for both activity and rest and you’ll have solved for yourself one of the largest wellness problems that effects humanity.

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Posture, Stretching, and Muscle "Jumping"

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated March 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

The human body is a highly complex system of organs, muscles, bones, connective tissues, and more all held together and able to express movement through networks of tension that exist within the body. It’s remarkable and a truly beautiful phenomenon when witnessing the graceful movement of a dancer, athlete, or model, and the prerequisite for this is good posture and balance across these tensional pathways. When postural and tension imbalances exist how the body can express movement through space and time is limited and may lead to problems such as acute and/or chronic pain, fatigue, and injuries. To correct postural imbalances bodily tissues that are shorter than optimal must be lengthened, and tissues that are longer than optimal must be tightened. Scar tissues need to be loosened up, certain muscles are best to be developed, and proper spinal alignment is a must. This article is a jumping off point for starting a postural realignment and optimization protocol and some key factors that are useful to know.

The Effect of Stretching on Posture

Stretching is the process of lengthening muscular and connective tissues. Some common and effective methods of stretching are:

• Dynamic Stretching

  • Active Warmups - Priming exercises performed by athletes which incorporate a slight 0-5 second stretch into them are a form of dynamic stretching that are good form warming up and preparing for exercise.

  • Vinyasa Yoga - By flowing from one pose to the next and with each breath reaching a little further into the pose of the moment makes vinyasa yoga a form of dynamic stretching that can be quite demanding but overtime with regular practice results in noticeable flexibility and postural improvements.

• Static Stretching

  • Passive Stretches - Holding a simple stretch for 20-60+ seconds is the easiest way to perform static stretching at a low skill level. It’s good to perform static stretching for the movement patterns that felt stiff after exercising.

  • Yin Yoga - In yin yoga poses are held for 60+ seconds, often for five minutes or greater, and the intention is to breath into tight spaces releasing any tension present in order to sink deeper into the stretch. Compared to hatha yoga, yin yoga stretches musculature more than connective tissues.

  • Hatha Yoga - In hatha yoga poses are held for long lengths of time like in yin yoga though typically the stretches target the flexibility of connective tissues (such as the femoral-hip joint) instead of muscular tissues.

Short dynamic stretches are good for warming up and getting ready for movement or strength training but they do little for fixing postural imbalances as they rarely result in long term flexibility improvements. To make fundamental changes to tensional patterns throughout the body, long deep stretches are best, and doing them consistently a few times a week will result in the greatest velocity of change in flexibility and posture. It is possible to get injured during stretching if pushing past a safe limit, so listening to the body and the ample warnings it provides is very important to reduce risk of injurious damage as much as possible.

When contracted and tight tension lines in the body are opened up and stretched to more optimal positions, a few things occur. First the newly lengthened range of motion (ROM) of that particular posture will be weaker than the limited posture that proceeded it. With a greater ROM newfound possibilities exist, such as new bodily positions, greater potential for muscle hypertrophy, and a higher ceiling on maximal strength potential, but care must be taken at the onset of this new freedom in flexibility to strengthen the body slowly so injury is prevented. If performing strength training while also performing fundamental postural adjustments via stretching, reduce exercise weight significantly and focus instead on movement quality. The central nervous system will require retraining which will take time but the long term rewards are well worth it.

Secondly energy flow throughout the body will be improved. Bioelectric currents that may have become “stuck” in parts of the body will flow better, as will force generated or load placed upon the body. As a quick metaphysics aside, the flow of kundalini chi energy through the bodies bioelectric/meridian/chakra system will be improved and may result in some quite noticeable and striking bodily and mental phenomenon to occur or awaken. It is important to be aware that embarking upon a postural optimization journey will be quite transformative and demands attention and respect.

Third the release of tension in certain parts of the body will bring awareness to other postural dysfunctions that may have been hidden before. For example, the hamstrings limited ability to stretch may have hidden the fact that the lower back was chronically tight, and now with hamstrings looser the muscles and connective tissues of the low back begin to speak up letting you know they require stretching and realignment.

Before turning the discussion towards how strength training can improve posture and also a simple test you can perform to assess the quality of your posture I want to discuss a useful indicator of where and what to stretch via a phenomenon I have labeled “muscle jumping”.

What are Muscle “Jumps”

Old recruitment patterns, tight muscles, and stiff fascia may make certain postures impossible to be done correctly anatomically at specific points in movement patterns, and when those points are reached then an ultra-tightness is experienced in the affected muscles and fascia, and instead of stretching these tissues simple readjust their relative placement within the body, “jumping” to the new placement. Muscle jumping allows movement patterns to take place without interruption at the cost of quick suboptimal postural readjustments at specific points that range from minor to major in scale. The problem with a muscle jump is that it avoids fixing the postural “chokepoint” and instead the tension is redistributed to other parts of the body, where it may accumulate, causing acute or chronic pain and postural imbalances. During strength training muscle jumps are often responsible for the sudden shift in form and improper loading of force on parts of the body that shouldn’t occur.

What is Fascia?

Fascia is a band or sheet of fibrous connective tissue made primarily of collagen that can be found under the skin attaching to, stabilizing, and enclosing muscles and other internal organs.

The collagen fibers that make up fascia are oriented in a wavy pattern parallel to the direction of pull (unless the fascia has been scarred). Fascia is flexible and able to resist unidirectional tension forces which at their limit will stretch the collagen fibers from wavy to straight. Fibroblasts within the fascial tissue produce the collagen fibers.

Whereas ligaments join bone to bone and tendons join muscles to bones, fascia surround muscles and other structures as a sort of net. When it comes to stretching, postural improvement, and strength training fascia plays a very important role.

Muscle jumps are quite common and most people are unaware of their true nature, or even of their existence, but if you pay close attention to how a movement pattern feels you will notice them. A muscle jump might create a small sound or create a feeling of quickly clicking or jumping within the body. Doing slow vinyasa yoga is a great way to feel and identify reoccurring muscle jumps that you have, and once identified further investigating the nature of these postural imbalances is easy. Muscle jumps occurs when a movement is faster than the tissues can optimally move and stretch through the movement, so when a muscle jump is felt reset position to the beginning of the movement pattern it was felt in and slow the movement down dramatically.

For example, standing tall with arms straight overhead sweep the arms downwards on each side making a big circle. Let’s say a muscle jump occurs at the bottom part of that sweep on one side of the body or to one arm. When that happens it’s an indication that the section of the body that jumped was stretching insufficiently to complete the movement in symmetrical perfection. Resetting the circular sweep of the arms but slowing the movement down by 5-10x when approaching the location of the muscle jump will keep the tension on that small overloaded section of muscle and fascia and the tension will now be felt. If done slowly and correctly the jump won’t occur (it may take a few times) and instead a broader zone of tension will be encountered usually in the surrounding area of where the jump occurred but rarely somewhere totally different.

Identifying muscle jumps and resetting them by performing those movements extremely slowly and with great quality will optimize posture quickly. Identifying and stretching muscle jumps is in-between dynamic stretching and static stretching in effect. It helps to improve short term performance but since the stretches are more qualitative that dynamic stretching the changes are more permanent. Tai chi and Qigong are excellent ways of smoothing out these types of fascial imbalances because they focus on slow and deliberate movement patterns.

The phenomenon of muscle jumps allows us to solve another mystery that perplexes many people when it comes to posture and stretching. For example it is common to stretch the hamstrings statically, and at a certain point into the stretch the fascial limit is reached, so a muscle jump occurs and now with tensional lines rearranged in the body, the tension that was once in the hamstrings has moved itself to the foot of the same leg. Or perhaps the neck is now feeling tight, or the hips, etc. Many fascial lines connect to and terminate to the hands, feet, hips, and skull so it is common for tension to be loaded to these regions. The bad news is that when tension is loaded in these zones it can be very painful acutely or chronically. The good news is that tension loaded into the hands, feet, hips, and neck can be worked out and released fairly easily if given proper attention.

Back to the example of the hamstring stretch having created pain and tension in the plantar fascia of the foot, otherwise known as plantar fasciitis, the practitioner at this point should stop the hamstring stretch and chase the tension out by massaging the foot, performing cross-frictional massage, etc. In a minor instance only a few minutes of active therapy may be needed to release the accumulated bundle of tension, in other instances if tension has been constantly fed to a singular location and chronic pain and inflammation has repeatedly accumulated in that area, it may takes weeks or months of consistent therapeutic work there and across the body to remedy the problem.

A quick story to illustrate the point…

Early after graduating college for my job I was walking 5-10 miles a day on concrete and asphalt. My coworker (who also did the same amount of walking) and I both developed plantar fasciitis in both feet. This was very painful and greatly limiting our ability to work and we both wanted for it to go away, but how we approached the situation differed. I was heavily into powerlifting at the time and had been using voodoo floss bands on my knees both as a warmup and as a recovery practice, so I applied the method I had learned and decided to begin wrapping my feet with the voodoo floss bands daily.

Left: latex voodoo floss band. Middle: elastic knee wrap. Right: physiotherapy ball

I mobilized my foot as best I could while it was wrapped under great compressive forces, each wrap cycle lasting about 60-90 seconds in length and I went from one foot right to the next, so wrapping both feet 3 times in that manner took about 10 minutes. I performed this voodoo flossing and foot mobilization 1-2x a day consistently and within 2-3 weeks my plantar fasciitis completely disappeared. In effect I had broken up the scar tissue that had formed and made my foot more flexible. I told my coworker of the protocol and of my success, but unfortunately he ignored my success and decided to instead rely on painkillers for symptom management before eventually opting to get surgery on his feet to relieve the pain, which required incisions and likely causes permanent structural alterations. Ouch.

All the tissues of the body have an ability to remodel themselves and regenerate, and while it may not be easy to fix certain problems, learning how to improve movement and heal the body by utilizing the natural healing mechanisms we’re all gifted with is always a step to be taken before resorting to methods like surgical and pharmaceutical intervention.

The Effect of Strength Training on Posture

In my experience it is more common for constricted and tight muscles and connective tissues to be causing postural problems than it is for loose muscles and connective tissues, but it is possible for this problem to exist. To correct for parts of the body that are too loose and stretched beyond optimal, targeting strength training is one of the best approaches. By performing exercises that constrict muscles and strengthen them, loose muscles can slowly be tightened and brought into optimal postural balance.

For example if the hamstrings are too stretched out which as a result is causing glute and lower back problems (as a result of the hamstrings contributing too little to the stabilization of the hips), performing deadlifting exercises will strengthen the hamstrings and tighten them. An exercise that targets the entire hamstring/glute/lower-back complex like a glute-ham raise would also be highly advantageous in this instance. When beginning from a hyperextended loose state and tightening certain muscles, it’s important to start with very light weight (or ideally just bodyweight) with an emphasis on great form. Once the proper patterning is established the number of reps performed per set and overall volume can be increased, and once this becomes easy then adding greater amounts of resistance via weights follows.

Just like with stretching, this process is not to be rushed in order to avoid any chance of injury, and it may take weeks or months in order to achieve proper functioning and alignment. It’s also very common to find a loose muscle paired with a tight muscle. For maximum effectiveness a posture realignment protocol will have a stretching component and a strength training component. Days of deep stretching and strength training should be separated from each other by sufficient time for recovery to occur, typically 1-2 days.

A Simple Posture Test

The hips and spine are the main structures of the body that determine one’s posture, and a quick way to determine whether postural imbalances exist is to sit cross legged in meditation for 5+ minutes. When sitting in this way with zero movement, forces naturally begin to load downwards through the spine and sits bones, and if posture is good then sitting upright in this manner is fairly effortless. If postural imbalances exist and tension patterns are thrown off as a result then sitting upright in meditation even if keeping completely still will cause the deviant muscles to fatigue which will begin causing discomfort or pain. This can happen in just seconds for some people, especially those who are untrained and out of shape. For others with lesser postural problems it may take 5-15 minutes to begin feeling the effects of inefficiently loading the weight of the body downwards through the spine.

Sitting in meditation is a great way in and of itself to bring balance to the body. Continuing to sit while deeply breathing through the discomfort will help the tension to be released, and every time upright spinal posture begins to deviate or collapse, relengthen the spine as if being pulled gently by a string from the top of the head. Tension can be released upwards through the neck and head in this manner while also strengthening the deep musculature of the spine. I highly recommend keeping a daily 10-20+ minute meditation practice as a core component of a postural optimization protocol.

Dietary Considerations for Postural Realignment

There are just a few notable things to mention as it relates to diet when undergoing a stretching and postural realignment protocol:

• Drink plenty of water in order to keep all the tissues of the body well hydrated and therefore well lubricated.

• Consume foods high in the amino acid glycine (a major component of collagen), or consume collagen directly.

  • Foods high in glycine: Pulses (lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas), Nuts & Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, almond), Vegetables (spinach, cabbage, asparagus, watercress, seaweed, spirulina), Fruits (bananas, apricots, oranges, avocado), Animal Products (bone broth, poultry skin, seafood, connective tissues, egg whites), Dairy (cheese, greek yoghurt, cottage cheese)

• Reduce intake of added sugars and highly processed foods in order to limit inflammation throughout the body.

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For a more comprehensive discussion on the topic of connective tissues and how to repair and regrow them, please read my guide:

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Heal Adrenal Fatigue

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Small adrenal glands are found above the kidneys which produce a variety of hormones as part of the endocrine system. A common health complaint often heard of is adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is characterized by the abnormal production of cortisol, an important stress hormone connected to the circadian rhythm and metabolism. The timing and release of cortisol is the last component of a complex pathway of hormones governed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). Cortisol influences other body systems to alter their energy metabolism. Cortisol production is downstream of many hormones so many variables have the potential of affecting cortisol levels, with light being one of the main causal factors.

Because of the complicated pathway that leads to cortisol production, it has been argued that adrenal fatigue is a myth and that no evidence points to adrenal insufficiency in people who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In this article we examine the evidence for adrenal fatigue, better known as chronic fatigue syndrome, and explore natural treatment options that may help restore balance to the HPA axis.

Note - This article does not constitute as medical advice, it is presented for informational purposes only. For medical conditions please consult a medical professional.

Is Adrenal Fatigue Real?

Before a discussion of treatment options to help heal adrenal fatigue, we must first determine if it actually exists or whether the symptoms of adrenal fatigue are due to an unidentified state of disease elsewhere in the body.

Common Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue

• Poor metabolism, weight gain

• Low energy, generalized fatigue

• Difficulty waking up, unrefreshing sleep

• Impairment in short-term memory and concentration (brain fog)

• Low stress tolerance

• Overuse of stimulants

Lesser Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue

• Anxiety

• Tender lymph nodes

• Muscle and joint pain

• Sore throat

• Headache

• Low libido

Examining the symptoms, we can see that they are quite broad in scope but generally deal with the metabolism, disrupted circadian rhythms, degraded cognitive function, and tender/painful body parts. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is responsible for governing many of the systems that could exhibit the above symptoms, especially when immune dysfunction and neurochemical alterations are taken into effect.

Adrenal fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome are different terms that describe the same issue, and the causal factors for these fatigue problems aren’t strictly defined yet because the system has proven complex to understand. That said, there are a few known factors that are well associated with adrenal fatigue which will be discussed below.

Main Factors of Adrenal Fatigue

Across the many studies that have been done on those with chronic fatigue syndrome and health controls, the most commonly observed changes are (1):

1. Mild hypocortisolism (low cortisol)

2. Attenuated diurnal variation of cortisol (less cortisol variation)

3. Blunted HPA axis responsiveness

4. Enhanced negative feedback by cortisol on the production of certain hormones by the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and pituitary glands.

Women are more likely to show hypocortisolism than men, and experiencing the abnormalities above is more probable for people who are inactive and/or depressed.

Examined biologically, adrenal fatigue is characterized by low cortisol levels and blunted cortisol plasma variation across the diurnal (24 hr) cycle (which governs in large part the wake/sleep cycle and energy levels throughout the day). In addition to hypocortisolism, HPA axis responsiveness is blunted by enhanced negative feedback.

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA Axis)

Cortisol hormone is one of the end products of the HPA axis, and cortisol also cyclically regulates the functions of the HPA axis through its actions on glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors. Glucocorticoid receptors are found in the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland. Mineralocorticoid receptors are found primarily in the hippocampus.

CC Sandi, C. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 5, 917–930 (2004).

Hippocampus

The hippocampus is a major component of the brain consisting of two hippocampi, one of each side of the brain. As part of the limbic system, the hippocampus is important for the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, as well as in spatial memory used for navigation. The hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is part of the limbic system and regulates certain metabolic processes and activities of the autonomic nervous system. Hormones are synthesized in the hypothalamus that stimulate or inhibit the secretion of hormones from the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus controls circadian rhythms, body temperature, sleep, fatigue, thirst, hunger, and attachment behaviors.

Pituitary Gland

The pituitary gland regulates hormone activity in other endocrine glands and organs. The pituitary has an anterior and posterior lobe. Hormones produced by the anterior pituitary include growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropin hormones, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and prolactin. Hormones produced by the posterior pituitary lobe include oxytocin and vasopressin.

How Adrenal Fatigue Develops

Cortisol is one of the bodies main stress related hormones, and it is release in a diurnal cycle in response to stress and low blood-glucose levels. Cortisol increases blood sugar through gluconeogenesis and aids in the metabolism of fatty acids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Cortisol also suppresses the immune system and decreases bone formation.

When engaging in acutely stressful activities such as strength training or cardiovascular exercise, cortisol is released from the adrenal glands to increase metabolism, blunt pain, and improve performance. Social stressors at work or home can also increase cortisol production, and cognitive behavioral therapy is able to reverse some HPA axis changes associated with adrenal fatigue.

Many of the activities that benefit from the increased stimulation of cortisol by the adrenal glands are health promoting when done in moderation against the backdrop of a low-stress lifestyle. Adrenal fatigue develops when increased cortisol stimulation is abused by excessive exercise and activity, social stressors, a poor diet, abuse of psychedelics, and poor sleep. Adrenal fatigue can also result from inactivity, a factor which highlights the importance of exercising in moderation for optimal wellness. Cortisol is a feel good hormone which can ease the feeling of pain and promote feelings of euphoria. One of the ways adrenal fatigue can develop in the first place is because its overstimulation overtime can be slightly addicting, and that encourages repeat behavior.

Adrenal fatigue is commonly observed in a few subsets of people. One group has a high-stress job and also excessively works out while restricting their calories to lose weight. Adrenal fatigue is also observed in overweight individuals who are extremely inactive. Adrenal fatigue is a widespread problem that affects people from a variety of lifestyles because the HPA axis can become deregulated in a variety of ways. Women are more susceptible to developing chronic fatigue then men.

Abuse of the metabolic pathways governed by cortisol dampens the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system and overstimulates the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system. Left unchecked, excessive cortisol stimulation overtime makes it harder to go parasympathetic, compromising the bodies recovery and healing mechanisms. Muscle and joint inflammation increases, bone strength decreases, the endocrine system is altered in function, libido lowers, and chronic stress and fatigue accumulate eventually resulting in even larger health problems if left untreated.

My Experience with Adrenal Fatigue

I first realized I was experiencing some level of adrenal fatigue after I recovered from SARS-CoV-2 early in 2020. My immune system was suppressed from an overindulgence in strength training while stress at work was increasing steadily. I was also dry-vaporizing cannabis regularly which had an effect on my metabolism and endocrine system.

While I was knocked out for 7-10 days because of the coronavirus, I realized that I had been placing too much stress on myself and on my adrenal glands, dysregulating my HPA axis. Afterwards I took a step back from lifting weights and shifted my exercise to calisthenics, walking, and yoga. A few months later I transitioned to a plant-based diet which further helped me recover from the mild chronic fatigue I had.

Now with a properly functioning HPA axis, my blood pressure is lower, my digestive system is healthy, I’m calmer and more emotionally stable, and I make better food choices. I’m more focused, no longer have any anxiety, and I enjoy restful sleep.

When plagued with chronic fatigue, it’s difficult to see how to get out of it because the energy to do anything is so low. Motivation feels ethereal, willpower is seemingly nonexistent, and depression may also be a factor. For these reasons it’s important to keep the treatment for chronic fatigue simple and to slowly build on the success first gained by various methods available.

Treatment for Adrenal Fatigue

When it come to treating adrenal fatigue, it’s suggested to start with the “low hanging fruits” that will provide quick and immediate improvements to one’s condition. Remember cortisol is a stress hormone connected to the circadian rhythm and metabolism, and by manipulating these variables fatigue can be reduced.

Diurnal cortisol variation averaged across 28 individuals. CC Whitaker, Martin et al Clinical endocrinology 2014;80554-61

Adrenal fatigue occurs when there is an accumulation of chronic stress that hasn’t been properly recovered from yet. Focusing first and foremost on restful activities will help to reduce and eliminate built-up chronic stress an inflammation while also resensitizing the HPA axis to normal function.

Prioritizing SLEEP is the first thing that should be done. Everyone receives the same 24 hours in a day, and setting aside a quality 8 hours a night for sleep is foundational to reducing and eliminating adrenal fatigue. There will be times where sleeping for the normal 7-9 hours isn’t possible, so when those variations are unavoidable, keep in mind the overall number of 56 weekly hours of sleep and catch up when possible. Catching up on sleep has the best success on the day following a shortened sleep cycle. Some simple advice is to listen to your body and to enjoy a nap if feeling tired.

Have time to REST and decompress every day. This doesn’t have to involve closing the eyes and can instead be performing some self-care, enjoying a peaceful walk through nature, or simply reading a book. When dealing with excessive muscle and joint inflammation and fatigue, Yin Yoga is great way to facilitate the recovery process while keeping energy expenditure low.

ESTABLISHING A ROUTINE and making a habit out of following a normal sleep cycle and resting when needed makes it easy to begin enabling positive incremental changes day by day without having to rely solely on motivation or willpower (which fluctuate). How each day is started determines in large part one’s physical, mental, and emotional status throughout the entire day. Simple movement, meditation, and BREATHING EXERCISES gently activate the metabolism and bring balance to the body and mind.

While making these lifestyle adjustments, the following herbs, supplements, and dietary changes can be made in tandem to facilitate the healing of chronic fatigue and the return to normal cortisol function.

Herbs for Adrenal Fatigue

There are many herbs that effect the energetic systems of the body and there are many ways the HPA axis can become dysregulated, therefore it is best to use adaptogenic herbs which help bring the systems of the body into balance irrespective of the starting conditions.

Ashwagandha for Adrenal Fatigue

Ashwagandha is a grounding and nourishing herb found in India. Popular in Aryuveda.

• Helps to cope with stress and enhances sleep

• Increases vital energy and balances hormones

• Supports overall cognitive health

Ashwagandha - from Mountain Rose Herbs

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Siberian Ginseng for Adrenal Fatigue

Siberian Ginseng is also known as eleuthero root and is native to Siberia (Asia). Eleuthero root is mildly stimulating.

• Supports the adrenals, boosts the immune system, and fights fatigue

• Reduces inflammation, improves sleep, and helps with depression

• Improves vital energy, sexual energy, and enhances digestion

Siberian Ginseng - from Mountain Rose Herbs

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Reishi Mushroom for Adrenal Fatigue

Known as the mushroom of immortality and found worldwide. Reishi is highly rejuvenating and a potent immune booster.

• Has powerful immune strengthening, antiviral, and antitumor properties

• Regulates blood sugar and lowers cholesterol by fighting free radicals

• Reduces fatigue and fights depression through its strong neuroprotective effects

Reishi mushroom can be eaten raw, brewed into a tea, tinctured, or made into a herbal broth for soup.

Reishi Mushroom - from Mountain Rose Herbs

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Chamomile Flower for Adrenal Fatigue

A gentle herb used worldwide to promote relaxation and calm.

• Relaxant, relieves stress and tension, and improves sleep

• Promotes the production of alpha brainwaves which increase sense of calm alertness

• Supports digestive health, helps with stomach ulcers, and improves regularity

Chamomile Flowers - from Mountain Rose Herbs

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Preparation: All of these herbs can be brewed into a tea individually or together in equal parts. Steep at 170 F (75 C) water for 5-15 minutes. These herbs can also be decocted into a tincture.

Supplements for Adrenal Fatigue

The herbs above can also be purchased as supplement pills for use in resolving adrenal fatigue. With a tea or tincture it’s more effective and costs less, but if the ease of use of pills is preferred that option exists.

Other supplements that are useful in healing chronic fatigue include key vitamins and minerals which are used by the endocrine and energy systems of the body.

Vitamins for Adrenal Fatigue

The main vitamins that are useful in the context of adrenal fatigue are the B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin D.

B vitamins help with energy metabolism, detoxification, and can have mood-elevating effects. For adrenal fatigue getting enough B vitamins through a food like nutritional yeast or by taking a B vitamin complex can help. I recommend the following vitamin B supplement.

The adrenal gland is one of the organs with the highest concentration of vitamin C in the body because it uses it in the production of all adrenal hormones including cortisol. Adrenal fatigue is marked by chronically reduced cortisol levels, and providing the body more vitamin C ensures that vitamin C is not a limiting factor in the production of normal levels of adrenal hormones. I don’t recommend vitamin C supplements because getting enough vitamin C is easy enough by eating fruits and vegetables, for example one orange contains 90% DV of vitamin C.

Vitamin D is important for the healthy functioning of the endocrine system, and most people are deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D can be synthesized endogenously by the skin through sun exposure. Depending on skin color and the weather, bathe some or all parts of skin for 10-60 minutes to produce the vitamin D needed for 1-3 days. Limit sun exposure in order to not get sunburnt. If healthy sun exposure is not possible or problematic I recommend Nootropic Depots Vitamin D3 + K2 + C supplement.

Minerals for Adrenal Fatigue

Magnesium and boron are two important minerals which are used extensively throughout the body and supplementation with each is helpful in the context of adrenal fatigue.

Magnesium is the second most common micronutrient deficiency, and getting enough magnesium ensures the bodies hormonal systems, metabolism, and circadian rhythm function properly. Magnesium supplementation in the evening aids in relaxation and improves sleep quality. I recommend the following magnesium supplement.

Boron is a trace mineral which assists the actions of vitamin D and magnesium. Boron has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, improving healing from tissues wounds and injuries. Boron improves the brain’s electrical activity, cognitive performance, and short-term memory for elders. Learn more about supplementing with boron.

Herbs for Adrenal Fatigue

There are two herbs that readily come to mind, chamomile and ashwagandha, that help mitigate the symptoms of adrenal fatigue and provide the body the support it requires to overcome and heal the issue.

Tea brewed from chamomile flowers has relaxing and sleep benefiting properties while also having the benefit of improving daytime functioning. Chamomile increases 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves which provide a sense of stability and calm, and chamomile contains many flavonoids like apigenin which help the brain to repair itself and maintain proper function, important for HPA axis dysfunctions. Mountain Rose Herbs sells organic chamomile flowers which are easy to brew into a tea and can be used for a variety of other purposes.

Ashwagandha is one of the premiere herbs known for its ability to reduce the amount of stress experienced from a stressful event. For example ashwagandha taken before an endurance activity greatly lessens the depletion of cortisol from the adrenal glands in response to the stress experienced, thereby reducing the demand for nutrients like vitamin C for the production of new cortisol. Taking ashwagandha before a stressful event, whether physical, mental, or emotional will help reduce the stress burden that results from after the event which is super useful for those who already have chronic fatigue. Taking ashwagandha daily also is helpful. Mountain Rose Herbs sells organic ashwagandha root powder (recommended), ashwagandha root, ashwagandha root capsules, and ashwagandha extract.

Nootropics Depot also sells a variety of ashwagandha products that have been standardized to contain a certain minimum percentage of withanolides (the main active component of ashwagandha) and I recommend their Shoden Ashwagandha Capsules which has a minimum of 35% withanolides for those looking for a more potent ashwagandha supplement.

Diet for Adrenal Fatigue

There are two aspects of diet that are important in the context of healing adrenal fatigue, or really any health issue.

First is to eat foods that contain the micronutrients the body is currently deficient in. For the nutrients listed above, the following foods can be eaten:

• B Vitamins - Nutritional yeast, leafy greens, sunflower seeds, fish, meat, dairy, and fortified grains

• Vitamin C - Citrus fruits, parsley, rose hips, peppers, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts)

• Vitamin D - Fish, eggs, mushrooms (exposed to sunlight), fortified milk

• Magnesium - Pumpkin seeds, nuts, avocado, dark chocolate, beans

Second is simply to eat a healthy well-rounded diet full of unprocessed foods which contain enough fiber and protein. This means eating fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and pulses if vegan. If vegetarian eggs and dairy can be added if easily digestible, and if a meat eater then pasture-raised meats and seafood can be further added to the diet. The main takeaway is to avoid sugary and ultra-processed foods is important to make sure cortisol secretion returns to normal because cortisol is released in response to blood glucose levels.

Adrenal Fatigue and Caffeine

Caffeine has an effect on cortisol levels. When caffeine isn’t used regularly, then caffeine will cause a robust increase in cortisol during morning, afternoon, or evening usage. When consuming caffeine on a daily basis, then morning caffeine usage doesn’t impact cortisol significantly but afternoon caffeine usage will elevate cortisol blood concentrations for up to six hours. Even if caffeine creates an afternoon cortisol increase, cortisol levels will drop to normal levels by nighttime.

Since it is the circadian rhythm and cortisol which plays a large part in the wake and sleep cycles of the body, it is important to be mindful of caffeine usage throughout the day and to limit usage of caffeine to time windows that won’t affect normal sleep, unless that is the desired goal. A good rule of thumb to follow is to not have any caffeine after 2 pm.

In the context of adrenal fatigue, it is best to not have any caffeine until the problem is well on its way to being resolved. An abuse of caffeine through heavily caffeinated drinks or excessive coffee usage often is a main factor that led to chronic fatigue syndrome in the first place. For help in quitting caffeine or in resetting a caffeine tolerance, read my caffeine guide:

Reset the Adrenal Glands

Incorporating wellness practices that promote balance into one’s lifestyle has a tremendous impact on health and wellness over the long term. Learning to evenly balance mind, body, and emotions takes time but the effort is well worth the reward. Healing occurs when the body is in a state of balance, so consider adding a morning routine that functions as a “balancing gyroscope”, bringing consistency and balance to day to day life. Establishing a grounding practice outside in nature is a great way to bioelectrically balance the various systems of the body

The human circadian rhythm is driven in large part by the cycles of light and temperature on our planet. Rising with the light and not going to sleep too long after the sun sets is the best way to stay aligned with these natural cycles. If experiencing insomnia and falling asleep is difficult, simply resting at the appropriate times when sleep normally should occur will create the habit of rest during that time window, and with consistency that habit will make falling asleep at regular hours easier.

Healing the adrenal glands and restoring normal function to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis can take a long time, sometimes months to years. One step in front of the other will lead to eventual success.

As a holistic wellness practitioner I offer coaching services, contact me to learn more.

References:

1. Papadopoulos, A., Cleare, A. Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome. Nat Rev Endocrinol 8, 22–32 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2011.153

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Recovery

Calisthenics, Weight Training, and Isometrics for Physical Development

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

There are many ways to train the physical body for increased strength, vitality, health, and performance. Each training modality is different in where and how it stimulates the systems of the body, and the adaptations that occur. While there are many ways to exercise, three common methods are by using bodyweight exercises (calisthenics), by lifting weights, and using isometrics (zero movement exercises).

Calisthenics is a form of resistance training which relies solely on the movement, weight, and tension of the body. The simple pushup, squat, or pullup are the most common examples of calisthenics exercises, though more advanced gymnastic movements such as muscle-ups, planches, and levers all apply.

With weight training, force is produced against objects of various weight such as dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells. Machines and strongman training implements like stones and logs also are types of weights. Weight training is scalable by increasing or decreasing exercise weight based on methodologies such as progressive overload.

Isometrics are exercises that involve zero movement, and this can be done resisting the force of gravity using weights, or pushing/pulling against immovable objects. Holding a plank is an isometric exercise, as would holding the open position of a dumbbell fly, or pushing as hard as possible against a large boulder. Isometric exercises can be used to precisely target stabilizer muscles or to generate max force safely.

I have trained with all three modalities for years and have experience in their best use and application. Let’s dig into each exercise modality, how they overlap, and their relative strengths and weaknesses.

Calisthenics, weight training, and isometrics done together can build a strong, resilient, and aesthetic body

Calisthenics for Beginners

The most immediately approachable training methodology is calisthenics. People of all shapes and sizes can use bodyweight movements of different leverage patterns to exercise to a degree appropriate for their body. Vinyasa yoga is a great example of calisthenics exercise with many different movement patterns that stimulate the whole body and can be easily scaled for anyone.

Another example of how calisthenics can be scaled to anyone can be understood using the squat. If a trainee is in great shape and free of injury, they can perform jump squats to increase power output, building muscle and strength in the process. If a trainee is overweight and/or injured, then assisted squats can be done, using gymnastic rings/TRX and a reduced range of motion, both safely deloading the body. As a trainee becomes stronger and more fit, the squat movement pattern can be increased in difficulty and complexity to create further adaptation stimulus.

A basic progression squat progression would be: assisted squat -> parallel squat -> deep squat -> shrimp squat -> pistol squat

Calisthenics exercises have the benefit of being performable just about anywhere. Some advanced moves like pullups and muscle-ups require a bar to hang from, but for most calisthenics exercises all that is required is some open space to move in.

Calisthenics also has the benefit of stimulating and strengthening stabilizer muscles throughout the body. Calisthenics exercises are all open-chain and the entire body must work in symmetrical balance to perform movement correctly. Posture is very important, and when programmed correctly, calisthenics will improve posture while strengthening the connective tissues of the body at the same rate muscular development occurs, reducing the risk of injury.

Calisthenics is a very balanced and safe method for improving the physicality of the body while also increasing other desirable characteristics such as endurance, flexibility. Calisthenics also improves metabolism and it’s not uncommon to build muscle while loosing body fat at the same time while practicing a lot of calisthenics. Calisthenics is great when the primary goal is to lose body fat.

Calisthenics Pros

• Can be performed nearly anywhere

• Improves posture

• Strengthens the body symmetrically

• Increases muscle mass and connective tissue strength

• Calisthenics exercises can be used for endurance training safely

• Most exercises are compound and target multiple muscles at once

• Easy to exercise in nature for other health and wellness benefits (nature bathing, fresh air, grounding, sunlight vitamin D production)

Calisthenics Cons

• Lower upper limit on muscular growth compared to weight training

• More advanced movements are best learned with coaching

• Progressive overload is not as easily applied as it is with weights

• More difficult to isolate and develop a single muscle

Weight Training for Beginners

When sheer muscular size and maximum strength is desired, weight training is the best way to exercise the body. Isolating muscles and applying progressive overload to them is easily accomplished with free weights. Large closed-chain compound exercises like barbell squats and deadlifts stimulate muscular growth and central nervous system adaptations throughout the entire body in a way calisthenics and isometrics can’t match. In addition, weight training can be very precise in application for the stimulation of small muscles to strengthen and grow. The biggest and strongest people on the planet, bodybuilders, powerlifters, and strongmen all use weight training as their primary training modality.

Injuries are also common in these sports, sometimes only minor, sometimes very severe. This is because with weight training it is much easier to develop muscular imbalances. The most successful athletes combine weight training, calisthenics, and isometric exercises in order to stay balanced in muscular, strength, and connective tissue development.

When it comes to dramatically transforming the physicality of the human body, weight training is unequaled. With faith and hard work it is possible to transform from weak and lanky to big and strong using weights and progressive overload. It’s not uncommon for men to add 50+ pounds of muscle to their frame over many years using weight training. Calisthenics will create a beautiful aesthetic body, but weight training has the benefit of allowing the trainee to precisely sculpt the physique in anyway they wish. For women bodybuilders training the glutes, upper chest, and shoulders while tightening the midsection creates the coveted hourglass figure and improves the waist-to-hip ratio closer to the biologically attractive 0.7.

Weight Training Pros

• Greatest potential for lean body mass and strength gains

• Unparalleled ability to shape and sculpt the body

• Weights can range from light to heavy and with proper guidance can be used safely by all people

• Many people use weights, and though experience levels vary, most gym-goers are very friendly and help others learn exercises, provide tips, etc.

Weight Training Cons

• Increased risk of injury if small supportive muscles and connective tissues aren’t developed at the same rate as larger muscles.

• Preexisting muscular imbalances can lead to improperly overloaded joints and muscles, increasing risk of injury

• Weight training requires access to weights, either purchased or at a gym.

• Weight training environments such as the gym can be intimidating for many

Isometrics for Beginners

An isometric exercise is a static muscular tension pattern held for time that involves no concentric or eccentric movement. Every different joint angle of a movement or exercise can be held as a isometric contraction, and as such 1000's of different isometric exercise patterns are possible.

The benefits of isometric exercises is that no joint movement is required, making isometrics a good alternative to conventional exercises when a trainee is injured or returning to exercise after a period of detraining. If weak at a certain point of an exercise, such as the midpoint of an overhead press, an isometric performed at that midpoint can be used to build strength at that specific leverage, improving overall force mechanics for the lift. With the overhead midpoint isometric exercise, force can be directed upwards, inwardly, or outwardly depending on what muscular activations are required to break through the sticking point. Isometrics are like calisthenics in that they don't require any specialized equipment to perform and can be performed with bodyweight exercises, but isometrics can also be done in the gym with barbells/dumbbells/machines, or with specialty-made isometrics equipment.

Isometrics have a remarkable ability to improve mind-muscle connection. By taking movement out of the equation, it’s easier for a trainee to feel how force is loading joints and muscles with a particular posture, and in this way isometric exercises can be very effective at building muscle and strength because the trainee learns how to better control the force they generate. Most isometric exercises involve pushing or pulling against an immoveable object, and this allows a trainee to generate maximum force without any risks inherent with movement. This maximum force generation ability of isometrics makes them very effective exercises for strength development as they dramatically increase muscular innervation, better connecting the mind to the central nervous system and musculature of the entire body while also better aligning the body, joints, and fascia into safe positions which force flows through easily.

Isometrics Pros

• Can be performed anywhere and in a million different ways

• Supportive to both calisthenics and weight training

• Very useful in recovery from injury

• Increases mind muscle connection and helps with sticking points

• Builds strength and can be used to preserve strength when away from the gym

• Can be performed during other wellness activities such as walking, meditation, and breathing exercises.

Isometrics Cons

• With poor posture, isometrics can load joints instead of muscles

• Isometrics have no measurable way of recording force output without sophisticated devices not commonly available (whereas a weight is a quantifiable load)

• Isometrics that involve maximum force generation create a large stress adaptation response which can be deceiving in its scale to new trainees, requiring more recovery time than they realize

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How to Start with Exercise

A combination of calisthenics, weights, and isometrics will transform anybody into a fitter, stronger, and more resilient individual.

Each of us was given a tremendous gift when born into a human body, and exercising physically in order to reach your maximum human potential is one way to celebrate the beauty of life and to thank the forces of creation. Benefits of physical training include happiness, health, and looking good!

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”

— Socrates (470-399 BC)

If you don’t know where to start with physical fitness, I offer coaching services with meal plans and workout routines custom tailored to your individual situation and needs. Coaching at the beginning of a physical transformation or during times of low willpower offers valuable motivation and support that can make the difference between making a positive change or sticking with the status quo.

Use the email contact form to get in touch with me and to schedule your first wellness coaching session.

Calisthenics and Core Workouts

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Compound barbell and dumbell exercises are a great way to build muscle and strength, but their carryover to real life movement only goes so far. It’s important to learn how to generate force against objects, and it is also important to learn how to generate force against your body. To truly gain masterful control of your body, then you need to learn calisthenics.

Calisthenics can be performed anywhere!

WFO Workout Routines

Part 1 - Full Body Workouts

Part 2 - Push & Pull Workouts

Part 3 - Leg Workouts

Part 4 - Arm Workouts

Part 5 - Calisthenics & Core Workouts ✅

Calisthenics is a exercise modality that exclusively uses body-weight exercises and movements to build muscle, increase strength, and improve fitness. The most commonly know calisthenics exercises are push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and running, which form the basis of this calisthenics and core workout. This is part 5 of the Wild Free Organic workout series, the fifth and final month!

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Calisthenics is for all Ages

We finish this five month workout series with calisthenics and core exercises to solidify the foundation of health and physical fitness that has been built. A strong core will benefit you for life in all physical endeavors, from recreational activities to sports, and body-weight exercises if done regularly will develop mastery of body movement. Calisthenics and core exercises can be scaled up and down in intensity for all different body types and ages of people, and that’s what makes them so powerful and universally appealing. Wellness icons like Jack Lalanne, the “Godfather of Fitness” knew this, and he practiced what he preached, performing impossible-seeming feats of strength and endurance his entire life. Calisthenics formed the base of Jack Lalanne’s daily fitness routine, and he shared everything he learned in his book Live Young Forever.

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”

— Socrates

While the gym is a great place to build strength, muscle, and confidence, it is not always possible to have access to a gym or workout equipment. Life changes and your fitness routine might need to change with it.

Gymnast performing an L-sit on rings. This exercises works the stabilizers of the entire body, the core, demonstrates lower body flexibility, and shows good spinal posture.

Calisthenics is also a great exercise modality that holistically stresses the body. Not only is muscle tissue stressed to grow and strengthen, but the connective tissues (tendons, ligaments, fascia) of the joints and body are developed too. Muscle and strength development that outpaces the slow strengthening of connective tissues will eventually result in injury, and unnecessary setbacks like this are detrimental in all aspects. Strength in compound exercises like squats and deadlifts is often held back by a weak midsection that is unable to efficiently translate force through the body, and developing a strong core will benefit not only aesthetics but overall strength development and expression.

While calisthenics and core work are often viewed as detracting time and focus away from more important exercises and muscles to be built, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Consistent calisthenics and core work will enable the full development and expression of strength, both with the body and barbell, while also protecting the body from injury and improving aesthetics. It is for these reasons that body-weight exercises like pull-ups and hanging leg raises have been programmed throughout this workout series, and now these principles will be expanded upon.

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Basic Calisthenics Movements

Upper Body

• Push-ups

• Pull-ups

• Chin-ups

• Dips

• Inverted rows

• Hangs

Full Body

• Turkish get-ups

• Burpees

• Mountain climbers

Lower Body

• Squats

• Lunges

• Calf raises

• Hip bridges/thrusts

• Deadlifts

• Kickbacks

Core

• Crunches

• Planks

• Leg raises/lifts

• Oblique twists

• Supermans

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Advanced Calisthenics Exercises

Upper Body

• Muscle-ups

• Front lever

• Back lever

• Handstands

• Handstand push-ups

• Iron Cross

• Planche push-ups

• Superman push-ups

• One-arm push-ups

• Rope climbs

Full Body

• Full body isometrics

Lower Body

• Pistol squats

• Shrimp squats

• Cossack squats

• Single leg deadlifts

• Tricking

Core

• Full bridge (arch)

• Windshield wipers

• Levers (front and back)

• Human flag

• Planche

• Hollow hold

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Developing the Core

The core of the body is composed of more muscles than just the six-pack (rectus abdominus). While the abs are important, there are many other muscles and connective tissues of the core.

Main muscles of the core:

• Rectus Abdominus

• Transverse Abdominus

• Obliques

• Serratus Anterior

• Erector Spinae

• Multifidus

For well-rounded core development and strengthening, time and energy should be devoted to all the muscles above.

The muscles of the midsection wrap around the entire body in layers, front to back, and developing all these muscles will create deep core strength that go beyond 6-pack abs.

The rectus abdominus is activated with spinal flexion and extension (crunches and extensions), and the transverse abdominals sit underneath the abs, being activated when you suck in your stomach towards the spine. The obliques sit on either side of the abs and are activated with twisting motions of the midsection. For the bodybuilders, well developed obliques will help frame the abdominals to create an impressive looking six pack.

The serratus muscles are more situated in the torso, sitting above the obliques and connecting the scapula to the rib cage, but it is these connection points which makes the serratus muscles important. The scapula are very important parts of upper body, and serratus muscles connect the scapula to the midsection.

The erector spinae and multifidus muscles are the muscles of the lower back, and they function to keep the spine strong, well aligned, and stable. Over-developed abdominals but weak erector spinae muscles are common, and this unbalanced development can cause poor recruitment patterns and lead to injury. Erector spinae muscles are very well developed with deadlifts

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Core Workouts

Core Workout (A)

• 3x30 Oblique twists

• 3x25 Reverse crunches

• 2x60s Side planks

• 3x12 Bird dogs

• 5x12s Stomach vacuums

• 2x20 Shoulder taps

Core Workout (B)

• 3x30 Bicycle crunches

• 3x30s Hollow holds

• 2x60s Side planks

• 3x12 Supermans

• 5x12s Stomach vacuums

• 2x30s RKC plank

Core workouts are best done 3-7x a week, the muscles of the midsection should be activated often and all at once from front to side to back. If little rest is taken in-between sets and exercises, overall activation of the core is increased and the workouts can be done quicker. The two workouts above should take only twenty minutes or less once endurance is built.

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Calisthenics Workouts

Calisthenics Workout (A)

• 2x30 Calf raises

• 5x30 Squats

• 3x10 Single leg deadlifts

• 3x25 Reverse crunches

• 4x12 Pull-ups

• 4x20 Push-ups

• 3x12 Bird dogs

• 2x5 Turkish get-ups

Calisthenics Workout (B)

• 2x30 Calf raises

• 5x20 Wide squats

• 3x30 Hip thrusts

• 3x30s Hollow holds

• 4x12 Chin-ups

• 4x10 Dips

• 3x30s Supermans

• 2x30 Mountain climbers

These full-body calisthenics workouts use basic body-weight exercises and are well-rounded in their activation of the body. They are also great workouts to integrate with a running program. Advanced trainees might find these workouts simple, but they can be intensified by slowing down exercise tempo and increasing muscle activation.

Balance is first activated and then the body is warmed up with lower body exercises. Working upwards the front core is activated, then the torso, and then the core muscles of the spine. The workout is finished with full-body exercises like turkish get-ups or mountain climbers.

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Month 5 Workout Routine

Week 1

Monday - Full Body

5x5 Squats

4x8 Incline Press

5x10 Barbell Rows

3x20 Lateral Raises

3x20 Bicep Curls

Tuesday - Calisthenics (A)

2x30 Calf raises

5x30 Squats

3x10 Single leg deadlifts

3x25 Reverse crunches

4x12 Pull-ups

4x20 Push-ups

3x12 Bird dogs

2x5 Turkish get-ups

Wednesday - Arms

3x20 Radial Deviations

3x20 Pronators

3x30 Reverse Wrist Curls

4x10 Chin-ups

4x12 Incline Triceps Extension

3x12 Preacher Curls

3x15 Triceps Kickbacks

Thursday - Calisthenics (B)

2x30 Calf raises

5x20 Wide Squats

3x30 Hip thrusts

3x30s Hollow holds

4x12 Chin-ups

4x10 Dips

3x30s Supermans

2x30 Mountain climbers

Friday - Core (A)

3x30 Oblique twists

3x25 Reverse crunches

2x60s Side planks

3x12 Bird dogs

5x12s Stomach vacuums

2x20 Shoulder taps

Saturday & Sunday - Rest

Week 2

Monday - Full Body

5x5 Deadlifts

4x8 DB Press

5x10 Leg Press

3x20 Rear Delt Flies

3x20 Tricep Pushdowns

Wednesday - Calisthenics (A)

2x30 Calf raises

5x30 Squats

3x10 Single leg deadlifts

3x25 Reverse crunches

4x12 Pull-ups

4x20 Push-ups

3x12 Bird dogs

2x5 Turkish get-ups

Wednesday - Arms

3x20 Radial Deviations

3x20 Supinators

3x30 Wrist Curls

4x10 Close-Grip Dips

4x12 Hammer Curls

4x12 Triceps Pushdowns (supinated)

3x15 Reverse Curls

Thursday - Calisthenics (B)

2x30 Calf raises

5x20 Wide squats

3x30 Hip thrusts

3x30s Hollow holds

4x12 Chin-ups

4x10 Dips

3x30s Supermans

2x30 Mountain climbers

Friday - Core (B)

3x30 Bicycle crunches

3x30s Hollow holds

2x60s Side planks

3x12 Supermans

5x12s Stomach vacuums

2x30s RKC plank

Saturday & Sunday - Rest

With this final month, we return to 3 full body workouts per week, with one being gym based and the other two are calisthenics based. Arm workouts are scheduled once a week to continue sufficiently stimulating the arms. A final core workout on Friday activates the entire core while also reducing the workload to promote overall recovery. Month 5 is a deload month compared to months 2-4, with the muscles, connective tissues, and central nervous system given a break from the typical stress patterns of barbell and dumbbell exercises. Meanwhile control and activation of the body is improved with the calisthenics exercises and connective tissues are strengthened in different ways.

On weeks 2 and 4 increase the weight of the gym exercises by 5%. If you feel healthy and confident, about a week after the end of this five month routine, test your 1 rep max for squats, deadlifts, incline press, and barbell rows. In the week preceding testing of the 1RM’s, get a solid eight hours of sleep per night and reduce volume and reduce weight, focusing on activation.

During month five, if you really want to fortify your joints and strengthen them in preparation for another loading phase in the gym, follow our joint and connective tissue protocol.

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New Beginnings

Over the past 5 months, you’ve learned the basics of weight-lifting, periodization, recovery, and nutrition. The foundation for a holistic lifestyle has been established, as has the foundation for how to approach physical fitness with a long term and patient mindset.

From here, the routine can be repeated in the same order, or the different workouts presented in the routine can be flexibly scheduled week to week instinctively. A new workout routine, like 5/3/1 can also be started! Maybe your fitness journey takes you to running or yoga, there are many ways to physically strengthen and develop the body, and none are inherently better or worse than the other.

Whatever your next destination, don’t forget the lifestyle and fitness principles learned over the past five months and continue your productive morning routine. Keep stress low, recovery high, and progress slow and steady. That’s the recipe for success in the gym and with life!

If you followed the routine from start to finish, please share your results by commenting below or contact us directly.

Repair and Regrow Joint Cartilage

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Cartilage is a unique human tissue with it’s own cellular physiology same as muscle, bone, brain, and organ tissues. Cartilage is the smooth but very strong protective tissue that caps the ends of bones, protecting bones from erosion as they move back each other during normal movement. When cartilage becomes damaged or eroded over time, the result can be terrible pain and a reduction in mobility. The human body caps bones with cartilage because cartilage is mostly friction-less and can regrow, whereas bone is rough and cannot regrow under normal circumstances. Once bone plates fuse in late adolescence, new bone growth stops.

Contrary to popular belief, which is that once cartilage or connective tissues are damaged then they are unable to heal, human physiological development itself provides the first clue that cartilage can be repaired and regrown. The reason for mistaken beliefs on the ability of cartilage to heal is because cartilage and connective tissues take a long time to heal and only do so under specific circumstances.

With consistency and patience, it is possible to reverse cartilage damage and heal connective tissues by modifying diet, using simple physical therapy techniques, and with intelligent supplementation.

To properly care for cartilage, it is important that equal attention is given to this unique tissue as would be given to muscle, skin, or heart tissue. Yet what we commonly see are people who work out for bigger muscles, or who devote tons of time on their skin care routines, or cardio fanatics who overdo it, but when it comes to the joints of the body, people throw up their hands and say fixing joint problems can’t be done, it’s impossible.

This is simple not true. Healing joints isn’t impossible, it’s just slow. Due to the cellular biology of cartilage, how it is created, and the chemistry of nutrient transport, it takes time to heal cartilage tissues. The methods described below are the fastest and most focused you can follow to repair your joints, but patience will be required.

Science of Cartilage Tissue

Cartilage is a smooth resilient elastic tissue found throughout the body. Where bones meet at joints, cartilage forms the protective cap which allows for smooth friction-less movement. Healthy cartilage is heavily hydrated (clue #2).

Chondrocytes in hyaline cartilage matrix. | CC3.0 - Emmanuelm at en.wikipedia

Cartilage is made up of cells called chondrocytes which are embedded in a cartilage matrix. This cartilage matrix is primarily made of type-II collagen and chondroitin sulfate.

It is the job of chondrocytes to produce a large amount of the collagenous extracellular matrix and ground substance of which they are embedded in. Ground substance is the gel-like material that contains the rest of the materials found in the cartilage matrix except the fibrous materials, providing lubrication for the collagen fibers that chondrocytes produce.

There are three types of cartilage: elastic cartilage, hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage. Hyaline and fibrous cartilage are the types of cartilage found in joints, with elastic cartilage being what make up ear flaps and similar tissues.

The three types of cartilage, they differ in the ratio of chondrocytes to collagenous matrix | CC4.0 - Shiloh117981894 at en.wikipedia

The smooth, friction-less, and tough characteristics of cartilage are an expression of the unique proteins and molecules that make up cartilage. The main building blocks of cartilage are water, collagen, and chondroitin sulfate. For any cartilage repair and regrowth protocol, it is factors that required targeted therapy.

Just as important as cartilage is connective tissue. Connective tissue is found throughout the body, and it is an important component of overall joint structure. Very similar to chondrocytes, a fibroblast is a type of cell that synthesizes extracellular matrix and collagen. Fibroblasts create the structural framework that holds everything in the body together (1). Collectively this organ is known as fascia, and through the functions of fibroblasts, fascia exerts a huge influence throughout the body. Fascia is what holds all the organs and muscles and soft tissues of the body together and in place while still allowing for a degree of movement. Fascia is very important for posture, strength, and must be considered when healing any wound.

The same nutrients and physical therapy techniques that are effective in triggering cartilage repair and synthesis by chondrocytes are effective at stimulating fibroblasts to repair and regrow connective tissues.

Connective Tissues Require Certain Nutrients

In order to support the maintenance and creation of healthy cartilage tissues, a proper diet high in the right building blocks (fats and amino acids) is needed. You are what you eat, so the easiest way to eat a cartilage supporting diet is to eat cartilage. During digestion, animal cartilage is broken down and absorbed as amino acids, dipeptides, and tripeptides. The body transports these simple proteins to connective tissues where they can be resynthesized into the compounds required grow and repair. If following a vegan diet, then consuming the same amino acids found in collagen and at the same ratios will be similarly effective as eating cartilage. Since cartilage and connective tissues are highly hydrated tissues, drinking enough pure water every day is very important for these tissues to be healthy and function properly.

Collagen peptides are characterized by their high levels of specific amino acids glycine, hydroxyproline, proline, and alanine (2). Glycine is the main amino acid of collagen, making up nearly every third component in the collagen peptide chain. Glycine is a conditional amino acid, meaning that the body is able to produce it, but depending on diet and other factors, it might or might not be produced in sufficient quantities. The standard recommendation for glycine is to consume 10-15 grams per day. Under normal circumstances the body will get about 2 grams from a typical diet, and synthesize another 2 grams from the amino acids serine and threonine (3). That leaves 6+ grams of glycine everyday that the body would like to have for connective tissue and cartilage maintenance, but won’t synthesize at the expense of other metabolic processes and needs.

Glycine helps stabilize blood sugar levels, and conversely, with insulin resistance, glycine metabolism is impaired (4), producing a series of negative downstream effects. Cartilage and connective tissues won’t receive the nutrients they need, and other serious issues like arterial calcification and elevated cardiovascular risk are associated with glycine deficiency.

Having pain, degraded function, and reduced strength in joints is a sign that the body is stressed for glycine and not receiving adequate amounts in the diet, instead slowing breaking down connective tissues to receive the amino acids it needs for more important metabolic processes. In this way connective tissues and cartilage act as a storehouse of key amino acids, slow to fill up and faster to pull from.

To Repair Cartilage Go Plant-Based for Extra Glycine

Incorporating into your diet glycine rich foods consistently is the first and most important way you can positively benefit your joint health and reduce joint pain. This can be done by consuming animal products high in collagen, or better yet by incorporating plant-based foods high in glycine.

For the typical plant-based diet, most of the protein comes from pulses such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas, which contain three to four times as much glycine as methionine (another amino acid). Glycine deficiency is not typically a concern with plant-based diets. Methionine is an amino acid found in high percentages in muscle meat, and methionine consumption in excess depletes glycine. Considering most meat products now are muscle based and contain very little connective tissues or skin, an animal protein rich diet will provide little glycine to begin with and overtime will deplete the bodies stores of glycine due to excess methionine consumption.

I have personal experience with this. When I first started a vegetarian diet, coming off of eating a lot of meat, a couple weeks in I started to have joint pain in my knees, an exceedingly rare event for me. I had hydrolyzed collagen on hand, so rather than waste it, I took 20 grams and for the next week or so all knee pain vanished. I increased glycine concentrations in my body and the first signs of joint concern vanished. As I learned to incorporate more beans, lentils, and chickpeas into my diet, I no longer required the occasional collagen infusion to reduce joint point, instead my body was being provided ample glycine on a daily basis and at a balanced ratio with methionine.

If you’re an omnivore, incorperate collagen-rich animal products into you diet as well as plant-based sources of glycine. If you follow a carnivore diet, eat more collagen-rich animal products than you think you need, and if you’re vegetarian or vegan consistently eat plant-based sources rich in glycine. The following foods are notably rich in glycine:

• Pulses

  • lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas

• Nuts/Seeds

  • pumpkin, sunflower, almond

• Vegetables

  • spinach, cabbage, asparagus, watercress, seaweed, spirulina

• Fruits

  • bananas, appricots, oranges, avocado

• Animal Products

  • bone broth

  • poultry skin

  • seafood

  • connective tissues

  • egg whites

• Dairy

  • cheese, greek yoghurt, cottage cheese

Methods to Repair and Regrow Cartilage and Connective Tissue

Before any application of a systematic cartilage regrowth protocol, being mindful of your diet and making the changes necessary to provide yourself with enough glycine is the important first step that needs to be taken. Once diet is in check, then other variables which help with the repair and growth of connective tissues can be undertaken successfully. First up are a few known biological processes which improve cartilage repair.

Pressure Stimulates Cartilage Growth

Applying pressure has been shown to repair & regrow cartilage is pressure. Starting with simple truths, pressure is useful for healing wounds, from the basics of holding pressure on a wound to stop bleeding to pressures usefulness for healing longer term injuries such as muscle, bone, and joint damage. Pressure changes stimulate the circulatory system, bring oxygen-rich blood and fresh nutrients to the area. In addition to improving blood flow, pressure itself can stimulate changes in physiology, for example with pressure proteins can change their structure to more advanced forms.

Ace bandage wrap on the left, voodoo floss wrap on the right. Both can be used to safely apply temporary or longer lasting pressure to parts of the body.

For muscle tissue, pressure changes (contractions, pumps, etc) will carry nutrients to areas in need of repair and stimulatory growth, but in cartilage no blood vessels are carried into the tissue. Blood flow is limited in reaching cartilage due to the nature of cartilage.

Nutrients are still delivered from nearby blood vessels directly to the chondrocytes and fibroblasts of cartilage and connective tissues, only it happens through osmosis. Osmotic transfer is regulated through differences in concentrations of molecules across boundaries, and by applying pressure to a joint, the osmotic transfer of glycine, chondroitin sulfate, and other building blocks to chondrocytes and fibroblasts is sped up.

The easiest way pressure can be applied to joints or areas of pain is with elastic wraps like ace bandages or voodoo floss bands. For deeper tissues, hard objects can be used to direct pressure to specific areas and break up scar tissue. When scar tissue is broken up, an inflammation response starts, triggered by the fibroblasts, and cellular cleanup begins. If pressure through a wrap is applied to the area after scar tissue is broken up, then healing nutrients will reach the area sooner and the healing process will be more effective.

Functional Range Conditioning Improves Cartilage Health

Many of the same principles for muscle growth and strengthening can also be applied to joints. Productive stress applied to joints and connective tissues, through targeted methods like functional range conditioning (FRC) can stimulate the repair, growth, and strengthening of cartilage tissues. The proper application of strength training will also improve joint strength and function, and will tighten and strengthen the fascia. Yin yoga and hatha yoga are also especially good at improving joint health.

Any of these modalities done properly increases mobility, improves joint strength, and improves body control. By using performing joint healing movements consistently, there will be a reduction of pain and lower chance of injury, plus better body movement and control overall. FRC, strength training, and yoga are best learned from an experienced professional.

Heat Therapy Reduces Inflammation in Joints

Heat therapy has wide ranging health benefits such as improved healing and increased longevity. Heat therapy works on the cellular level by activating heat shock proteins and releasing growth hormone. Heat shock proteins elimate free radicals and heal damaged proteins, meanwhile growth hormone stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration.

You can do whole body heat therapy by using a sauna, steam room, or hot bath, and this will create a systemic full-body healing effect. Or you can apply heat therapy via a heat wrap to the specific joint or body part that requires attention. pairing pressure, heat therapy, and simple joint movements together is a very effective in breaking up scar tissue, cleaning up the resulting damage, and bringing in fresh blood and nutrients, returning joint function to normal.

Joint/Muscle Flossing Stimulates Cartilage Growth

Back to the beneficial application of pressure for healing connective tissues, voodoo floss bands are particularly effective in my experience. Voodoo floss bands are made of latex and can be wrapped around a body part or joint in order to improve performance, increase range of motion, or promote healing. Joint flossing effectively combines pressure and the FRC ideology, and is the single best thing outside of making changes to your diet that you can do to improve joint health. Watch the video below for more information and how to voodoo floss a knee.

Note - I prefer to skip wrapping the kneecap in order to let the knee glide more smoothly during movements. To see how to floss other joints do a search on YouTube.

Supplements For Cartilage and Connective Tissues

There are some well known dietary supplements and herbs which can with help heal cartilage and connective tissues.

Curcumin for Cartilage Pain and Inflammation

Turmeric is a bright orange root used in cooking well known for its potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Curcumin, a type of curcuminoid, is the main phytochemical responsible for the health effects of turmeric. There are many different ways turmeric/curcumin supplements are formulated, and some formulations are more bioavailable than others.

• Dosing - 1000 mg of curcumin with 10 mg of piperine every morning.

• Effects - Reduced pain and inflammation.

• Supplement Recommendation - Curcumin with Piperine by Nootropics Depot.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Cartilage Lubrication

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of fat used throughout the body for a variety of important bodily processes, namely for the cardiovascular system and brain. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects and work synergistically with curcumin. Omega-3 fatty acids come in three forms, ALA, DHA, or EPA. ALA is the plant version which requires conversion into DHA or EPA in the body, so it is best to supplement with DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids.

• Dosing - 2-3 grams of DHA/EPA combo every morning. It is better to have a greater DHA/EPA ratio.

• Effects - Reduced pain and inflammation

• Supplement Recommendation - 70% DHA Omega-3 Fish Oil by Nootropics Depot.

• Dietary Recommendation - Sardines are a super rich source of omega-3’s high in EPA and DHA. Walnuts, flaxseed, and chia seeds are good sources of ALA omega-3 fatty acids.

Sulforaphane for Joint Inflammation

Sulforaphane is a sulfur-rich naturally occurring compound found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and kale know for it’s potent anti-inflammatory health effects. A diet high in raw or lightly cooked cruciferous vegetables is best, and sulforaphane supplements are also available.

• Dosing - 50-100 mg sulforaphane every night

• Effects - Reduced pain and inflammation

• Supplement Recommendation - BroccoMax by Jarrow Formulas

Glucosamine Sulfate for Joint Repair

Glucosamine sulfate is a chemical created naturally by the body for use in joint and connective tissues, and if levels in the body are deficient, supplementation may help. Glucosamine sulfate used in supplements is derived from shellfish shells. By supplementing with glucosamine sulfate you’ll ensure your body has enough available to repair cartilage and connective tissues.

• Dosing - 1.5 grams every night

• Effects - Reduced pain, improved function

• Supplement Recommendation - Glucosamine Sulfate by Doctor’s Best

Hydrolyzed Collagen for Cartilage Building Blocks

Hydrolyzed collagen is derived from collagen-rich animal sources, and collagen is the main protein that makes up cartilage and connective tissues. Glycine is the dominant amino acid of collagen protein, and glycine has insulin, cardiovascular, cognitive, and sleep quality effects. By supplementing with collagen you’ll ensure your body has enough amino acids needed to repair cartilage and connective tissues.

• Dosing - 20-40 grams every night

• Effects - Reduced pain, improved function, better sleep.

• Supplement Recommendation (animal) - Collagen Hydrolysate by Great Lakes Gelatin

• Supplement Recommendation (plant) - Collagen Building Protein Peptides by Sunwarrior

Boswellia Serrata for Powerful Joint Repair

Boswellia serrata is a gum resin extracted from a tree, with the main active compounds being boswellic acids. Boswellia serrata can suppress pain and immobility from osteoarthritis in as little as a weeks time. Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that breaks down cartilage and connective tissues of joints, causing pain, stiffness, and loss of function.

• Dosing - 1 gram three times a day, for a total of 3 grams every day

• Effects, Increase in mobility, reduced pain, reduced stiffness/immobility

• Supplement Recommendation - Boswellia Phytosome by Thorne Research

Boron for Bone and Connective Tissue Health

Boron is the fifth element of the periodic table, and trace amounts can be found in the Earth’s crust. Even though boron is a trace element, it is critical for plant and animal biology. Boron greatly improves wound healing by interacting with the fibroblasts of connective tissues. Boron has direct actions on specific enzymes found in fibroblasts, and making sure you are not boron deficient, as is common, is another way to make sure there are no weak links in the healing process.

• Dosing - 10 mg per day

• Effects - Improved healing time, stronger connective tissues

• Supplement Recommendation - Pinch of borax by 20 Mule Team

Bonus - BPC-157

BPC-157 is a 15 amino-acid long protein peptide, with BPC short for body protection compound. BPC is found in stomach gastric fluids, and when injected into a problem area, reduces oxidative stress and speeds up wound and tissue healing. BPC-157 has also been shown to heal epithelial tight junctions in the gut. I haven’t used BPC-157 myself, but it’s effects are so powerful I included it as a jumping off point for your own research. BPC-157 is not used in this cartilage and connective tissue healing protocol.

Joint and Connective Tissue Healing Protocol

Using the methods, tools, and supplements above, and with a good diet already in place, a cartilage and connective tissue repair and regrowth protocol can be designed. This protocol will increase collagen protein synthesis using joint flossing, pressure and heat therapy, functional range conditioning, and intelligent supplementation. It’s also very important to better understand posture and how tension runs through the body in order to make a joint and connective tissue regeneration protocol most effective, and so future mistakes aren’t made that require this process to be done more than once. To read my article on the topic click the button below.

The protocol is a week long, and can be repeated as many times as needed until improvement or complete restoration of function. Weight training is recommended once joint health and pain have abated so lean tissue, bones, and connective tissues can strengthen. The general principles of the program are:

• Daily stimulation of the collagen protein synthesis pathway for affected joints via joint/muscle flossing

• Walking 1x a week for general movement and cardiovascular health. Walk more on your own too!

• FRC 2x a week for targeted applications of overload (for strength and resiliency increases) and movement (for range of motion improvements)

• Yin Yoga 1x a week for restorative movement, deep passive stretches, relaxation, fascial stretching, deep breathing, and overall tension release

• Morning Supplements: 2-3 grams omega-3 fatty acids, 500-1000 mg turmeric/curcumin combination, 10 mg boron.

• Evening Supplements: 50-100 mg sulforaphane, 1.5 grams glucosamine sulfate, 20 grams collagen.

Monday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. Pressure with ace bandage and self myofascial release

4. Evening supplements

Friday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. Pressure with ace bandage and self myofascial release

4. Evening supplements

Tuesday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. Heat therapy

4. Evening supplements

Saturday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. FRC exercises

4. Evening supplements

Wednesday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. FRC practitioner visit

4. Evening supplements

Sunday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. Heat therapy

4. Evening supplements

Thursday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. 30-60 minute walk

4. Evening supplements

All these techniques can be used more often than scheduled in the program, but I reduced their frequency in order to make the routine more realistically possible. If you are really determined to fix whatever joint problems you are experiencing, go all out and devote a lot of time towards these practices. Remember though, healing joints and connective tissues takes a long time due to the biology of it, so doing what you can consistently is best long term strategy to make progress.

The importance of diet can’t be understated. Other than acute injuries, it might have been diet that made these joint and connective tissue problems arise. Having a joint friendly diet is at least half the battle.

References:

1. Bordoni B, Zanier E. Understanding fibroblasts in order to comprehend the osteopathic treatment of the fascia. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2015;2015:1-7.

2. Gauza-Włodarczyk M, Kubisz L, Włodarczyk D. Amino acid composition in determination of collagen origin and assessment of physical factors effects. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2017;104:987-991.

3. KEGG PATHWAY: Glycine, serine and threonine metabolism - Reference pathway.

4. Adeva-Andany M, Souto-Adeva G, Ameneiros-Rodríguez E, Fernández-Fernández C, Donapetry-García C, Domínguez-Montero A. Insulin resistance and glycine metabolism in humans. Amino Acids. 2018;50(1):11-27.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Recovery

Arm Workouts

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Full body workouts, push & pull splits, and leg workouts are where the majority of trainees should be spending their time. These workouts stimulate the greatest amount of musculature at once and have the greatest metabolic effect. Without a direct arm day though, arms will be insufficiently trained, and their reduced development over time will set back progress and negatively limited movement patterns as exercise weight increases. To ensure symmetrical strength, size, and aesthetic development of the forearms, biceps, and triceps, we include an arm day into the WFO workout routine in month four and beyond.

WFO Workout Routines

Part 1 - Full Body Workouts

Part 2 - Push & Pull Workouts

Part 3 - Leg Workouts

Part 4 - Arm Workouts ✅

Part 5 - Calisthenics & Core Workouts

Arms can be challenging to train for their own unique reasons. Muscles and joints of the arms are used in almost every exercise to varying degrees, and due to the mechanics of exercises like the bench press and squat, often joint pain flares up in the shoulder or elbow. This can limit direct arm training, worsening the imbalance.

It can also be challenging to be motivated to do direct arm training after heavy compounds which are highly stimulating and very tiring.

We’ll strategize around those concerns with a scheduled arm day which keeps everything healthy and balanced. An arm day isn’t an excuse to shun harder training to build some guns, it’s an opportunity to balance physique development while also being an opportunity for the legs and torso of the body to rest and recover in-between hard training sessions. How workouts are scheduled, and their relative frequency to each other, determines whether training a certain way or body part is an opportunity or is a setback.

And training schedule and frequency depends on your goals:

• Want a large thick tricep horseshoe? Train triceps heavy 1x a week and light 1x a week.

• Desiring bulging biceps capable of rope climbs? Train biceps 2-3x a week.

• Entering into an arm wrestling competition with Popeye? Train forearms to a pump twice a week.

To properly train the arms and forearms with a dedicated arm day, we need to understand the physiology of the arms, the functions of the different muscles, and how you can best activate the biceps, triceps, and forearms.

Upper Arm - Biceps, Triceps, Brachialis, Brachioradialis

Biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis muscles make up about 40% of the upper arm, and triceps the remaining 60%. Unless you are gifted with godly triceps already, it is important to prioritize the development of the triceps slightly over the biceps, as the triceps make up a bigger percentage of the upper arm. A good benchmark is to train triceps with 20% more volume than biceps.

Muscular anatomy of the arm

Triceps are a group of three muscles composed of distinct “heads”. These are the long head, medial head, and lateral head. The triceps are responsible for pushing away from the body (i.e. like in a push-up), and the unique activation of the three different tricep muscular heads depends on your anatomy and force angle you’re pushing away from your body.

The long head of the tricep is best activated in-between shoulder elevation of 0-45 and an elbow angle of 80-135. Lateral and medial heads are best activated at shoulder elevations of 90-180, and elbow angles of 60-110.

For reference (1), in the picture to the left my shoulder elevation is zero and my elbow angle is zero. Arm being directly overhead would be a shoulder elevation of 180 degrees, and forearm touching upper arm being would be a elbow angle of of 135 degrees.

Working all three heads is important for the development of symmetrical triceps that are strong at all force vectors. It is common to have an overdeveloped lateral head and underdeveloped long head. The reason why depends on daily posture habits such as shoulder rotation. Internal rotation (rotate palms in) inactivates the long head, while external rotation of the shoulder (rotate palms out) activates the long head.

The medial head of the triceps is very small and has similar shoulder and elbow activation angles as the lateral head. The medial head is activated well with tricep push-ups.

Biceps are composed of you guessed it, two distinct heads, those being the short and long heads. The short head is located on the inside of the arm closest to the body and the long head on the outside of the arm. The brachialis is located near the elbow underneath the biceps, and growing it will result in a stronger fuller bicep with a higher peak. The brachioradialis crosses the elbow joint and is an upper arm and forearm muscle.

Forearm - Wrists Flexors & Extensors, Wrist Pronators & Supinators

The forearm is composed of a variety of small wiry muscles. The wrist is a very mobile joint because our hands require extreme dexterity and endurance, and to train the forearms adequately you need to use a variety of movement patterns and rep ranges.

The forearms are made up of flexors, extensors, pronators, and supinators. When you bring your hand closer to the inside of your forearm, you active the wrist flexors. When you do the opposite movement, extending your hand out, you activate the wrist extensors. Pronation and supination is all about wrist rotation. Pronated hands means the back of your hands face upwards, and supinated means the palms of your hands are visible facing upwards. The wrist pronators and supinators as you would guess are the muscles which allow the wrist to rotate from palms down to palms up. Bar exercises can be taken with either a pronated or supinated grip, each stimulate the arms differently, from forearm muscle up through the shoulder joint, because grip determines whether your shoulder is internally or externally rotated. Training those twisting movement patterns themselves, and not just the static grip positions, makes for comprehensive forearm training.

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Arm and Forearm Movements

Triceps Long Head

• Close-grip Dip

• Cable Push-Down

• Reverse Close-Grip Flat Press

• Tricep Kickbacks

Triceps Lateral Head

• Overhead Triceps Extension

• Incline Triceps Extension

• Skull Crusher

• Close-Grip Flat Press

• JM Press

Triceps Medial Head

• Close-Grip Push-Up

• Incline Triceps Extension

Forearm Extensors

• Reverse Curl

• Reverse Wrist Curl

• Radial Deviation

Forearm Rotators

• Pronations

• Supinations

Biceps Inner & Outer Head

• Close-grip Chin-Up

• Zotterman Curl

• Preacher Curl

• Close-grip Curl

• Wide-grip Curl

• Drag Curl

• Hammer Curl

Brachialis

• Preacher Curl

• Concentration Curl

Brachioradialis

• Hammer Curl

• Reverse Curl

• Zotterman Curl

Forearm Flexors

• Wrist Curl

• Wrist Roller

• Grippers

• Grip Exercises

Note - Various implements can be used for the above exercises, such as the barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, cables, machines, and more.

Arm workouts are the best way to build stronger and more impressive arms. Arms that are balanced with the rest of the upper body will keep exercise movement patterns healthy and stop any strength plateaus from starting.

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Arm Workouts

Arm Workout (A)

3x20 Radial Deviations

3x20 Pronators

3x30 Reverse Wrist Curls

4x5-10 Chin-ups

4x12 Incline Triceps Extension

3x12 Preacher Curls

3x15 Triceps Kickbacks

Bicep Emphasis

Arm Workout (B)

3x20 Radial Deviations

3x20 Supinators

3x30 Wrist Curls

4x5-10 Close-Grip Dips

4x12 DB Curls

4x12 Triceps Pushdowns (supinated)

3x15 Reverse Curls

Tricep Emphasis

During these two workouts, we start by activating the forearms and then move up the arms. By starting with the forearms, we ensure that they aren’t forgotten or ignored at the end of the workout, and the blood flowing to the forearms warm up the upper arms. Doing forearm exercises first will improve mind muscle connection to the upper arms through the principle of irradiation. The grip will also be more taxed during regular biceps and triceps exercises, further stimulating the forearms throughout the entire workout.

Forearm exercises don’t take long; the first three exercises can be expected to take 15 minutes total. After the forearms are activated, a compound arm exercise is programmed to get blood flowing to the upper arm, build strength, and start the mind muscle connection. It takes time to build a strong mind muscle connection, anywhere from 4-7 sets. Once a muscle is fully activated, it is important to spend another 4-7 sets fully activated to ensure an optimal muscle stimulus is created.

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Month 4 Workout Routine

For Month 4 of the WFO workout routine we shake up the exercise selections in order to stimulate new adaptations and to keep the routine from becoming too boring. Discipline matters, but if you’re not enjoying the routine, then you’re not likely to stick with it.

Week 1

Monday - Full Body

5x5 Incline Press

4x8 Front Squats

5x10 Barbell Rows

3x20 Cable Woodchops

Tuesday - Arms

3x20 Radial Deviations

3x20 Pronators

3x30 Reverse Wrist Curls

4x10 Chin-ups

4x12 Incline Triceps Extension

3x12 Preacher Curls

3x15 Triceps Kickbacks

Wednesday - Legs

5x10 Ab Wheel Rollouts

3x20 Seated Calf Raises

5x5 Squats

4x8 Hip Thrusts

5x10 Glute Ham Raise

Thursday - Pull

5x5 Barbell Rows

4x8 Behind-the-Neck Lat Pull Downs

5x10 Seated Cable Rows

3x15 Facepulls

3x10 DB Curls

Friday - Push

3x20 Dumbbell Front Raises

5x10 Incline Press

3x10 Kettlebell Press

3x15 Lateral Raises

3x10 Overhead Tricep Extensions

Saturday & Sunday - Rest

Week 2

Monday - Full Body

5x5 Deadlifts

4x8 DB Press

5x10 Leg Press

3x30 Reverse Crunches

Tuesday - Arms

3x20 Radial Deviations

3x20 Supinators

3x30 Wrist Curls

4x10 Close-Grip Dips

4x12 Hammer Curls

4x12 Triceps Pushdowns (supinated)

3x15 Reverse Curls

Wednesday - Legs

5x10 Ab Wheel Rollouts

3x20 Standing Calf Raises

5x5 Squats

4x8 Front Squats

5x10 Cossack Squats

Thursday - Pull

5x5 Barbell Rows

4x8 Behind-the-Neck Lat Pull Downs

5x10 Seated Cable Rows

3x15 Facepulls

3x10 DB Curls

Friday - Push

3x20 Rear Delt Flies

5x10 Arnold Press

3x10 Flat DB Press

3x15 Lateral Raises

3x20 Skullcrushers

Saturday & Sunday - Rest

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The schedule for month 4 is week 1, week 2, week 1, week 2. Same as month 3, increase weights by 5% on weeks 2 and 4. At this point the weights are starting to enter into the moderate range, it’ll be harder to focus solely on form and the mind muscle connection. Some amount of attention will need to be given to simply executing the reps and getting through the set. This is good, we’re coming closer to a peak, a deload is approaching where attention will shift away from heavy compound movements and instead towards core strength, body movement, stretching, and calisthenics.

Part 5 incorporates the strength gains made from parts 1-4 into functional movement patterns, grace of movement, and aesthetics. Additionally, part 5 with its emphasis on core strength and calisthenics prepare the body for the next loading phase by strengthening the connective tissues, fortifying the joints, and building a rock-solid six pack. Core strength is often the limiting factor as it relates to compound lifts like squats and deadlifts, so focusing on core strength for a time will ultimately improve strength with the barbell.

If you really want to increase the size of your arms, then take the thirty day arm challenge while running a cistanche and cholesterol protocol. Cistanche and cholesterol combined will boost your natural testosterone and build muscle while the thirty day arm challenge will add 1/4-1/2” to your arms.

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References:

1. Kholinne E, Zulkarnain RF, Sun YC, Lim S, Chun JM, Jeon IH. The different role of each head of the triceps brachii muscle in elbow extension. Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc. 2018;52(3):201-205.

Leg Workouts

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

The majority of your training in the gym should be centered around full body workouts, followed by push and pull workouts (as covered in parts 1 and 2). To optimally train the body, the limbs (legs and arms) need direct attention and training. The legs especially are very important for overall health and wellness.

WFO Workout Routines

Part 1 - Full Body Workouts

Part 2 - Push & Pull Workouts

Part 3 - Leg Workouts ✅

Part 4 - Arm Workouts

Part 5 - Calisthenics & Core Workouts

To build on parts 1 and 2, we add leg workouts into the routine and adjust the rest of the routine to compensate for the increased leg volume and intensity. If you want a stronger squat, deadlift, and hip thrust, have a dedicated leg day 2x a week. If you want bigger quadriceps, front squat frequently.

Below we’ll cover the main movements used to train the legs, add a new recovery method, provide the leg workouts to be used moving forward, and will show how to flexibly incorporate leg days into a training schedule

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Importance of Leg Training and Calves

The legs can be split into three main sections, the calves, thighs, and glutes. Both the calves and thighs have different muscles front and back, and the glutes are situated behind the hips. The legs are unique in that they contain a huge amount of muscle mass compared to other parts of the body. Upper leg muscles encircle the femur, the largest and strongest bone of the body, but there are no organs in the legs like with the torso. Because the legs comprise such a large percentage of the total body mass of the body, they are very important to develop for overall health and wellness.

Strong well-developed legs are critical for many of the movement patterns we rarely reflect on like walking and standing. Legs that have more muscle will have a greater metabolic impact on the body, burning more calories and helping to stabilize blood sugar and hormone levels. Nimble legs and the inner ears determine your balance, and there is excellent data showing how easily you can get off the ground using only your legs predicts lower all-cause mortality (death from any reason). For these reasons and more it is incredibly important to be mindful of your legs and to train them frequently and intelligently.

Balancing the development of the legs is also very important. Exercises like the barbell squat activate all of the musculature of the legs, but the calves are only minimally activated. Hip hinging exercises like the deadlift are similar. The reason the calves develop sub-optimally is because the calves are best strengthened when the foot and ankle are the primary joint loaded with force during a movement, like a calf raise. With weight-training routines it is common for calves and forearms to be neglected at the expense of the upper arms, upper legs, midsection, and torso. But as we know with the connection between balance and risk of injury, equal attention needs to be given to all the muscles of the legs, no matter their relative size or aesthetic features.

Because time at the gym is limited, it’s a tough pill to swallow to train calves heavy at the expense of exercises like squats, and many people end up ignoring their calves completely as a result. To solve this, train calves at the beginning of every leg workout and use them to warm up all the muscles of the lower body. For blood to reach the calves much of it will travel past and through the upper leg, activating everything along the way. With pre-activated calf muscles, risk of injury during heavy lower body compounds like squats and deadlifts decreases, and those exercises then serve to activate and stress the calves to a greater degree.

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Muscles of the Legs

Calves

• Gastrocnemius

• Soleus

• Tibialis Anterior

Quadriceps

• Rectus Femoris

• Vastus Lateralis

• Vastus Intermedius

• Vastus Medialis

Hamstrings

• Biceps Femoris, Long Head

• Biceps Femoris, Short Head

• Semitendinosus

• Semimembranosus

Glutes

• Gluteus Maximus

• Gluteus Medius

• Gluteus Minimus

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Main movements for the Legs

Gastrocnemius

• Standing Calf Raise

Soleus

• Seated Calf Raise

Tibialis Anterior

• Reverse Calf Raise

Quadriceps

• Squat (front, back)

• One Legged Squat (pistol, shrimp)

• Cossack Squat

• Sissy Squat

• Lunge (forward, side, reverse)

• Step-Up

• Leg Press

Hamstrings

• Deadlift

• Single Leg Deadlifts

• Stiff Legged Deadlift

• Glute-Ham Raise

• Leg Curl

• Good Morning

• Squat

Glutes

• Hip Thrust

• Hip Bridge

• Squat

• Deadlift

• Lunge (wide)

• Leg Press

Note - Various implements can be used for the above exercises, such as the barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, cables, machines, and more.

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Unique Considerations for Legs

In general, leg workouts using the movements above will train the smaller stabilizer muscles of the legs (i.e hip abductors, tiny thigh muscles) which were not covered in this article. Training the body, but especially the legs, in both the sagittal and frontal planes of motion is very important in developing a strong, healthy, and limber lower body. Moving forward and back would be sagittal, and side to side frontal.

Legs are interesting in the fact that the primary joints of the legs are very robust compared to the joints of the torso thanks to bipedalism. This allows the legs to be trained daily if desired for extended periods of time, as long as volume and intensity are intelligently managed.

If rapid lower body strength or hypertrophy development is the goal, then high frequency leg training is useful to experiment with. The legs are also special in that they hold a large amount of muscle compactly. There are no organs housed and protected in the legs. Once well developed, with movement as simple as walking, the legs are metabolically activated and can burn a tremendous amount of calories with less effort than for the torso. Even at rest the muscle mass of the legs has a large influence on ones Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). As such, strong healthy legs are a key factor in overall body composition, and increasing muscle mass in the legs can be very useful for fat loss.

For the months of full body workouts and push/pull workouts, we learned and put into practice a lot of wellness habits that exist outside the gym. Sleep, diet, water, and gut health were on the agenda. For this month, heat therapy and post workout nutrition are the new lifestyle add-ons to keep recovery high and nutritional demands met.

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Heat Therapy and Post-Workout Nutrition

Heat therapy, like using the sauna or taking a very hot bath, is one of the most powerful recovery tools you have available to you. Heat therapy activates heat shock proteins which heal cellular damage, increases metabolic rate and has cardiovascular benefits, and dramatically boosts growth hormone levels for a short while afterwards. All these effects and more aid greatly in your ability to recover from a hard training session, and if done 1-3x per week for 15-30 minutes each time, the same rate of progressive overload growth that this program has created can be maintained. Heat therapy is a stressor itself, so make sure the rest of your lifestyle is as low-stress as possible, that’s why laying the foundation in months 1 and 2 was so important. Leg training is one of the most stressful types of training out there, and if you’re not careful it is really easy to become injured.

8 oz coconut milk, 30 grams protein, 6 raw egg yolks, 3 g creatine, and cinnamon to taste.

To aid in the recovery from the increasing demands of this workout routine, post workout nutrition becomes more important. More protein will be needed by the body, as well as cellular and hormonal building blocks like cholesterol.

Drink this muscle building shake after every leg and full body workout to ensure you’re getting the macro and micronutrients your body needs to build muscle and synthesize steroidal hormones.

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Leg Workouts

Below are the leg workouts to be used for month three and beyond of the WFO workout routine.

Leg Workout (A)

3x20 Seated Calf Raises

5x5 Squats

4x8 Hip Thrusts

5x10 Glute Ham Raise

Leg Workout (B)

3x20 Standing Calf Raises

5x5 Deadlifts

4x8 Front Squats

5x10 Cossack Squats

525 lb Deadlift by Stefan Burns

While the exercises for each workout above are best suited for the rep ranges given (5x5, 4x8, 5x10), cycling the rep ranges in-between exercises will stimulate new adaptations with the same three exercises per workout. Exercises can be adapted or changed too, there is nothing wrong with that.

Be very thoughtful when changing exercises though, and don’t change exercises often, because it’s easy to begin altering all the variables for fun rather than stick to the plan that will ensure progress and the achievement of goals set. The gym is a place to train your discipline. Forget what you want to do or what’s fun, do what you need to do, and find a way to enjoy that process.

Leg Workout C below is designed for a more athletic focus, and Leg Workout D for more aesthetic driven goals:

Leg Workout (C)

3x20 Reverse Calf Raises

Hip Thrusts 5x5

Lunges 4x8

Cossack Squats 5x10

Prowler Sprints 5x30 yards

Athletic Focus

Leg Workout (D)

3x20 Reverse Calf Raises

3x30 Standing Calf Raises

5x5 Front Squats

4x12 Glute Ham Raise

5x15 Lunges (wide)

Aesthetic Focus

Combined with full body and push & pull workouts, you can start to see how adaptable these routines are. For legs, the rep and set schemes are always given lower rep range strength priority on the dedicated leg day (for example the 5x5 compound movement), with the full body workouts using the other reps ranges more typical for hypertrophy. Because of this, the full body and push + pull workouts need to be slightly altered from months 1 and 2. This isn’t a problem because the overall strategy employed here is program flexibility. After part six, you’ll have the know-how and experience to be able to dynamically build your workout routine every week from the different types of workouts presented, while still following a clear path towards progressive overload.

The two weeks of programming below are to be repeated twice over the course of part 3, which like the other parts is a month in duration. As with part 2, weights for the first week of this month will be the same as the last week of month 2. Increase weights by 5% for week 2, and by another 5% for week 4. This is the cadence that will be established, 5% increases every two weeks. When stress is low and recovery is high, this is very manageable for a long time, especially when the starting weights were in the 40-50% 1 rep max range.

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Month 3 Workout Routine

Week 1

Monday - Full Body

5x5 Hip Thrusts

4x8 Pull-Ups

5x10 Pec Deck

3x15 Hanging Leg Raises

Tuesday - Pull

One-Arm Lat Pulldowns 3x20

Barbell Rows 4x6

Chin-Ups 3x10

Facepulls 3x15

DB Curls 3x10

Wednesday - Legs

5x10 Ab Wheel Rollouts

3x20 Seated Calf Raises

5x5 Squats

4x8 Hip Thrusts

5x10 Glute Ham Raise

Thursday - Push

5x5 Incline Press

4x8 Dumbbell Incline Press

5x10 Pec Deck

3x12 Skullcrushers

Friday - Full Body

5x5 Deadlifts

4x8 DB Press

5x10 Leg Press

3x30 Reverse Crunches

Saturday & Sunday - Rest

Week 2

Monday - Full Body

5x5 Squats

4x8 Pull-Ups

5x10 Pec Deck

3x15 Hanging Leg Raises

Tuesday - Push

Dumbbell Front Raises 3x20

Bench Press 4x6

Kettlebell Press 3x10

Lateral Raises 3x15

Tricep Cable Extensions 3x10

Wednesday - Legs

5x10 Ab Wheel Rollouts

3x20 Standing Calf Raises

5x5 Deadlifts

4x8 Front Squats

5x10 Cossack Squats

Thursday - Pull

5x5 Barbell Rows

4x8 Behind-the-Neck Lat Pull Downs

5x10 One-Arm Seated Cable Rows

3x12 Hammer Curls

Friday - Full Body

5x5 Incline Press

4x8 Lunges

5x10 Pull-Ups

3x20 Cable Woodchops

Saturday & Sunday - Rest

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Follow Progressive Overload

With the routines used for month 3 of the WFO workout plan, legs are trained 3x a week, upper body 4x a week, and core 3x a week. The rest day on Wednesday was eliminated, in effect only increasing leg frequency, volume, and intensity compared to part 2. Training legs twice a week, as was done in part 2, is effective, but training legs 3x a week is where the real magic happens. Recovery practices are extra important now though. Heat therapy is introduced in part 3 because leg training is very stressful and metabolically demanding; heat therapy simply wasn’t needed until now, and the extra endogenous growth hormone production will benefit recovery and overall growth.

For part 4 we discuss arm & forearm training, how much arm size you can realistically add in a month with an arm focused routine, and how experience with this training philosophy lays the foundation for intuitive training.

Push and Pull Workouts

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Push and pull strength training routines revolve around performing all pushing exercises on one day and all pulling exercises on another. For example one day would be filled with push-ups, another day would be filled with pull-ups. A push pull workout routine can be very effective at building muscle and getting stronger for intermediate trainees. For those new to strength training, full body workouts are recommended to first be learned and mastered before graduating to more advanced training methods like split routines (push pull workouts, legs and shoulders, etc).

Full body workouts are the foundation of the Wild Free Organic 6 month workout routine, and if you intend on following this strength training routine, start with part 1 which is the one month starting phase and follow the natural progression from there.

WFO Workout Routines

Part 1 - Full Body Workouts

Part 2 - Push & Pull Workouts ✅

Part 3 - Leg Workouts

Part 4 - Arm Workouts

Part 5 - Calisthenics & Core Workouts

Full body workouts stimulate the full body all in one go, creating a powerful adaption stress response. Because of this, full body workouts form the foundation of any successful strength training and hypertrophy routine. Additionally, when life becomes hectic, full body routines offer a fall-back where workout frequency can be reduced but progress can still be made, albeit at a slower rate.

As great as full body workouts are, sometimes more volume, frequency, and intensity is needed to stimulate greater adaptations for specific body parts. When this is the situation, the best way to accomplish this for the upper body is with push and pull workouts.

The push/pull split is simple, you simply train all pushing movements in one workout, and all pulling movements in the other. Pushing movements use the chest, shoulders, and triceps, while pulling movements use the back, shoulders, and biceps. Push and pull workouts programmed around compound exercises create the greatest muscle growth stimulus, but the arms will be less stimulated than the torso. Isolation exercises added for the arms at the end of push/pull workouts helps to alleviate this imbalance, and incorporating a dedicated arm workout into a strength training routine is recommended for improving physique symmetry and strength balance. Arm workouts are discussed and incorporated into the routine during part 4, at this early stage of the progression they are not needed.

With this push pull strength training routine, legs are trained during full body workouts that happen twice a week.

Training Philosophy

If you are following a strength training routine, building muscle, increasing strength, and sculpting an aesthetic physique are likely your primary goals. When working out at a gym, the objective is to create a large adaptive stimulus in the desired parts of the body which can be successfully recovered from. The gym is a means to this end, nothing more. It is not a hangout spot, it is not a place to flex the ego. Workouts should be focused in their intention, and once completed, the focus shifts to other important wellness activities which aid in recovery and create lifestyle free of chronic stress. The less stress in daily life, the more stress can acutely apply to the body via strength training, and the greater the results will be.

Target Muscles

Main Muscles Recruiting during PUSH:

Chest

• Pectoralis Major

  • Sternal head

  • Clavicular head

Shoulders

• Anterior Deltoid

• Lateral Deltoid

Triceps Brachii

• Long head

• Medial head

• Lateral head

Main Muscles recruited during PULL:

Back

• Latissimus Dorsi

• Teres Minor

• Trapezius

• Rhomboids

Shoulders

• Posterior Deltoid

Biceps Brachii

• Short head

• Long head

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Main Movements

Main pushing movements for each muscle group:

Chest

• Push-Up

• Flat (bench) Press

• Incline Press

• Chest Fly

• Dips

Shoulders

• Handstand Push-Up

• Press

• Front Raises

• Upright Row

• Lateral Raise

Triceps

• Close-Grip Push-Up

• Close-Grip Flat Press

• Cable Push-Down

• Overhead Triceps Extension

• Skull Crusher

Main pulling movements for each muscle group:

Back

• Pull-Up

• Chin-Up

• Inverted Row

• Deadlift

• Lat Pulldown

• Bent Over Row

• Shrug

• Pullover

Shoulders

• Pull-Up

• Inverted Row

• Rear Delt Row

• Rear Delt Fly

Biceps

• Chin-Up

• Curl

• Preacher Curl

Note - Various implements can be used for the above exercises, such as the barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, cables, machines, and more.

Push and pull workouts are the best way to build a larger, thicker, and stronger torso. An impressive upper body requires an impressive frame, and upper body compound exercises done correctly built the size and strength of frame needed to pack on serious muscle mass.

Push Workouts

The same exercises from the full body workouts of part 1 are used to create the base movements for the push and pull workouts of part 2. This exercise selection allows us to dynamically adjust the types of workouts scheduled every week to best stimulate the body while also keep progressive overload simple and allowing for routine flexibility in the face of occasional adverse circumstances.

Below are the two push workouts that will be incorporated into the weekly routine. Push workout A is more chest stimulating, and push workout C directs more attention to the shoulders and triceps.

Push Workout (A)

5x5 Incline Press

4x8 Dumbbell Incline Press

5x10 Pec Deck

Push Workout (C)

Dumbbell Front Raises 3x20

Bench Press 4x6

Kettlebell Press 3x10

Lateral Raises 3x15

Tricep Cable Extensions 3x10

What we’ll do with these workouts, the pull workouts, and the full body workouts is we’ll keep many of the same exercises but the rep ranges will be cycled. This stimulates new adaptations, creates accountability for exercise form across different weights, and will build the most aesthetic physique.

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Pull Workouts

Below are the two pull workouts that will be incorporated into the weekly routine. Pull workout B is more back stimulating, and pull workout D directs more attention to the rear deltoids and biceps.

Pull Workout (B)

5x5 Deadlifts

4x8 Behind-the-Neck Lat Pull Downs

5x10 Seated Cable Rows

Pull Workout (D)

One-Arm Lat Pulldowns 3x20

Barbell Rows 4x6

Chin-Ups 3x10

Facepulls 3x15

DB Curls 3x10

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Importance of Exercise Frequency

Frequency of muscle and nervous system is a very important factor as it determines the consistency of the adaptation stimulus.

If you follow a workout split where you only hit each muscle group (chest, back, legs, arms, shoulders) once per week, you can see how ineffective this is for stimulating constant muscle growth. Meanwhile the muscle group that is hit once per week is trained to absolute failure and beyond, causing greater muscle trauma which if improperly recovered from will lead to worsening outcomes.

Higher frequency strength training routines are better at stimulating strength and muscular adaptations, but with more frequent stimulus it is therefore even more important to reduce any unnecessary stressors that exists in life. Even though overall intensity workouts are lower as shown in the graphic above, adaptive stress from the workouts cumulatively is higher and more constant. It is for this reason that body-part split routines are attractive to many trainees, especially if they have a high stress lifestyle. It’s simply difficult to squat 3x a week if life outside the gym is chaotic and stressful.

Create a low stress environment and be diligent with recovery practices like heat therapy and overall progress made with a high frequency workout routine will be much greater and less volatile compared to less frequent higher intensity workout plans.

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WFO Workout Routine Month Two

Push and pull workouts are combined with full body workouts for the Wild Free Organic month 2 strength training routine. Each individual workout outlined among these articles is very adaptable and can be combined with each other in uniquely useful ways.

The following two week workout routine is repeated twice. There are workouts 4x per week, with rest days on Wednesday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Week 1

Monday - Full Body (A)

5x5 Squats

4x8 Pull-Ups

5x10 Pec Deck

3x15 Hanging Leg Raises

Tuesday - Pull (D)

One-Arm Lat Pulldowns 3x20

Barbell Rows 4x6

Chin-Ups 3x10

Facepulls 3x15

DB Curls 3x10

Wednesday - Rest

Thursday - Push (A)

5x5 Incline Press

4x8 Dumbbell Incline Press

5x10 Pec Deck

Friday - Full Body (C)

5x5 Deadlifts

4x8 DB Press

5x10 Leg Press

3x30 Reverse Crunches

Saturday & Sunday - Rest

Week 2

Monday - Full Body (A)

5x5 Squats

4x8 Pull-Ups

5x10 Pec Deck

3x15 Hanging Leg Raises

Tuesday - Push (C)

Dumbbell Front Raises 3x20

Bench Press 4x6

Kettlebell Press 3x10

Lateral Raises 3x15

Tricep Cable Extensions 3x10

Wednesday - Rest

Thursday - Pull (B)

5x5 Deadlifts

4x8 Behind-the-Neck Lat Pull Downs

5x10 Seated Cable Rows

Friday - Full Body (B)

5x5 Incline Press

4x8 Front Squats

5x10 Barbell Rows

3x20 Cable Woodchops

Saturday & Sunday - Rest

With this workout routine legs are trained 2x per week, chest 3x, back 3x, arms and shoulders regularly, and core 2x per week.

During the first month of full body workouts, the weight used for exercises was increased by 10% from start to finish. With month 2 the weights are still light and the emphasis is still on exercise form and muscle contractions. Use the same weight on exercises for week 1 of this month as week 4 of last month. On weeks 2, 3, and 4 increase the weight by 5%, for a total compounded weight increase of about 16%. Always round down weight increases, so for example if your percentage jump takes you from 165 to 173, load the bar with 170 lbs. Overall a couple pounds difference has a negligible impact if exercise form and maximum connectivity and contraction is the goal for each rep and set.

Note - Buy 2.5 lb change plates to make more precise weight jumps.

A routine that started with comically light weights at 40-50% of 1RM at the beginning of month 1 now uses weights by the end of month two 27.6% heavier. If you were squatting with 135 to start, now you’re squatting with 170 lbs with similar ease, form, and muscle activation. Congratulations, that’s a big achievement!

Full Body Workouts

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Welcome to part 1 of the 5 part Wild Free Organic workout series. If you’re a beginner to intermediate lifter, treat the advice given in these five write-ups as gospel and fully believe that you can achieve any physical transformation you set your mind to with consistency and discipline. If you follow the full five month routine, you’ll be blown away by how far you progress physically and you’ll have developed the right mindset for future gains with few setbacks.

Have a vision and focus! Leaping from one direction to the next might feel stimulating and you’ll know a lot, but to use a metaphor, you’ll still be stuck in the valley amongst trees when instead if you had stayed relentlessly focused on the one uphill path ahead, you could be standing on the mountain with far-reaching and clear vision!

Who am I to talk? Well I was once you. I started working out at the age of 19 and for 10 years I learned everything there is to know while simultaneously learning nothing. I made incredible progress and incredible setbacks. Learn from my experience and avoid the hardships I progressed through due to my ignorance and lack of patience. Trust the process! Learn when to seize the moment and also learn when to throttle down. Do what is best for your long-term development, not your ego.

WFO Workout Routines

Part 1 - Full Body Workouts ✅

Part 2 - Push & Pull Workouts

Part 3 - Leg Workouts

Part 4 - Arm Workouts

Part 5 - Calisthenics & Core Workouts

If you want an exercise training program that enables you to make the progress you’ve been striving for without the setbacks, look no further. Clear your mind, go to the gym with a plan, don’t get distracted, and turn your vision into reality.

The following program is balanced in all respects that matter without adding complication and unneeded stress to the process. We’re not here to argue exercise theory, but rather put in the work and let the strength training show the results. With intelligent exercise selection, hard work, and consistency, there is no limit on the physical transformation you can achieve. Enough pep talk, lets go!

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Laying the Foundation

Arnold Schwarzenegger was a brick layer while he was training for his first Mr. Olympia. Arnold understood the importance of laying a strong foundation, and it was this wisdom that his built his body, fortune, and fame upon.

Just like Arnold, you need to lay a strong foundation for your physique transformation. Whether you’re starting this routine after just having finished another or after a period of detraining, we want to start off very slow. Use these full body workouts as a chance to lower your chronic stress level, rest the parasympathetic nervous system, and focus on learning how to recovery. Muscle grows when muscle protein synthesis is elevated greater than muscle degradation. Fat melts off when there is a calorie deficit and little stress. Recovery reduces both muscle degradation and lowers stress, and learning how to recover before starting a new training program in which intensity will ramp up over time will pay tremendous dividends. If stress is low and recovery is in balance, you can work out less and make more progress. More on recovery throughout the rest of the series, but to start read the articles below as many times as it takes to understand the importance of each and execute on them:

• Establish a productive morning routine.

• Address adrenal fatigue issues you might have.

• Develop a mindfulness routine, meditate everyday.

• Fix your sleep!

Skip this small time investment and you’ll end up wasting much much MUCH more time down the road.

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Full Body Workout Routine

Full body workouts are best programmed on a weekly time frame. Three full body workouts every week will sufficiently stimulate the body to adapt and become stronger, faster, and better conditioned.

Don’t worry, any muscle you’ve built won’t melt off while you take an easy month of lifting to build the foundation for your physical transformation. Repeat this weekly routine for 4 weeks in a row. As you progress through this workout series, you’ll learn how you can modify these workouts to best pursue your specific physique transformation goals, but we need to learn the basics first. Use this first month of lifting to reconfigure your lifestyle while still hitting the main compound lifts and stimulating your body from all angles.

Monday - Full Body (A)

5x5 Squats

4x8 Pull-Ups

5x10 Pec Deck

3x15 Hanging Leg Raises

Wednesday - Full Body (B)

5x5 Incline Press

4x8 Front Squats

5x10 Barbell Rows

3x20 Cable Woodchops

Friday - Full Body (C)

5x5 Deadlifts

4x8 DB Press

5x10 Leg Press

3x30 Reverse Crunches

If you want exercise 1RM percentages, do all exercises at 40% of your current 1RM. Don’t test your 1RM to determine what it is, use a little intuition and then shave off a bit to account for your ego. Got your numbers? Good, shave off some more to account for your ego again. If you don’t know what 1RM is, find weights that are so light they almost seem comical to use. Know this to be true, weight doesn’t matter! Watch any interview with an IFBB pro, they’ll say the same. Connectivity and how much tension you generate matters! Do this right or don’t do it at all.

Spend this first month really honing in on exercise form and technique. Contract every muscle fiber and connect to every nerve ending! Even with comically light weights, if you apply that intensity to your form and body awareness you’ll still leave the gym sweating. The less connected you are to your body the greater your likelihood of injury, and being injured sucks! Being injured is a huge setback and can cause long-term problems.

The order of importance for weight lifting for natural trainees is as follows:

A progressive overload increase of 10% is acceptable. Increase weight by 5% at week 3 and another 5% at the beginning of week 4. Since the weight for these exercises will be so light to begin with, you should be able to maintain the same form and connectivity for all the exercises even with the 10% bump in weight at the end of month 1. Congratulations, you just made the easiest 10% improvement of your lifting career!

We want to stack as many of those as possible together unbroken. In part two we add push and pull workouts to the routine and discuss some advanced recovery methods.

Incorporate Strength Training into a Running Routine

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Strength and power are not usually associated with running, yet, these physical qualities are fundamental to running performance and injury prevention. Strength exercises can vary largely in difficulty, technique and weight added. Resistance training has a wide range, from body weight exercises such as push-ups to barbell exercises such as the bench press, and even to exciting functional movements such as sandbag carries.

Wild Free Organic Running Series:

1. Beginners Running Guide - 3 Month Plan

2. Incorporate Strength Training into your Running Routine ✅

3. Preparing for your First 5K

4. Final Preparations and 5K Race Day

From running novice to experienced racer, you’ll learn running, strength training, and race tip from these articles written by Triathlete Sarah Alexander and Physician Carten Denne. For absolute beginners, start with the Beginners Running Guide and follow through the other articles as you prepare for your first 5k race!

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Why Add Strength Training to a Running Routine?

Strength and power are important to prevent injury and maximize performance for runners, and the answer lies in the physics of running. It revolves around something called “ground reaction forces”. To put it simply, these are the forces that the foot puts on the ground when landing. In return, the forces from the ground are returned to the foot. It has been shown that when the foot strikes the ground, up to 3 times body weight forces are exerted on the leg and foot hitting the ground (1)! Therefore, strong leg muscles are better able to withstand that amount of repetitive force making the runner less likely to get injured.  Also, the more force a runner can place on the ground, the faster they will run (2). So if that has you confused, don’t worry. After you perform the following exercises you will see first-hand how strength training can help.

It is recommended to do these exercises after a run or on a separate, non-running day. Incorporate them into your morning routine. Resistance training, although very beneficial, will tire the muscles used for running. Running with fatigued muscles can change ones running form and increase the risk of injury (3, 4). For advanced trainees, it is important to have a day or two dedicated to weight training per week. This can be after an easy jog instead of a run. A lifting session is not meant to be done on ones dedicated rest day.

Below is an example of what to add in after a run. Paired with a 5k running plan and proper diet and your results will be striking. Many of the basics (the push-up) are explained in a way to make them easier to perform and better understood how to progress. There are also new movements most runners have never performed before.

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Beginner Strength Training for Runners

Whether you are an elite marathoner or just got of the couch for the first time in 5 years, the following exercise are an essential starting point for your exploration into strength training.

2x a week perform the following circuit. Focus on proper form, consistent breathing, and don’t rush through the exercises.

• Squats 3 x 10-20

• Push-ups 3 x 0-20

• Lunges 3 x 10-20

Note - sets x reps (i.e. 3 x 10 is three sets of ten repetitions)

Exercise: Body Weight Squat

To perform this exercise for the first time it is often helpful to have a chair behind you as you sit back. The movement should mimic sitting into a chair, using your legs to control the motion on the way down. Once your behind touches the chair, stand back up using just the strength of your legs. Squats strengthen the large muscles in the legs that are responsible for generating power. Try starting with 3 sets of 20 repetitions with about 30 seconds rest between sets.

Exercise: The Push-Up

Don’t start thinking this deadly gym class favorite has come back to haunt your dreams. No need for struggling to hold a proper form or suffering with your knees on the hard ground. We are going to make it easier and hopefully more fun by using the negative push-up. First, start at the top of the position and lower slowly to the ground. Then to get back to the starting position, role up using your legs and abs. The purpose of negative push-ups is to maintain the form while on the eccentric (downwards) part of the movement. You will be able to take on regular push-ups after being able to do several of these. Begin with 2 sets of as many repetitions until fatigue, and as you build strength in your arms, shoulders, and chest, you can add more sets and reps.

Exercise: Lunges

Along with the squat, this leg exercise is great for runners. It will build power in the legs and can be altered to make it more difficult as you progress. The movement of the lunge is done by stepping out with one leg and letting the other knee gently move toward the ground. The “stepped out” foot is then brought back to place the feet together. When done properly this movement should not put stress on the knees or ankles. When you can do 20-30 consecutive lunges, then a jumping lunge can be integrated into the routine. Adding a jump in the movement will further develop the explosive leg muscles used in running.

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Intermediate Strength Training for Runners

Once you have mastered the basics for your chest and legs, the following exercises will further challenge your strength and power systems, especially those of the back and core, pushing your running PR’s lower.

Combined with the above beginner routine, 1x a week perform the following circuit. Focus on stability through the midsection throughout all the movements.

• Australian Pull-Ups 3 x 10-20

• Hollow Body Holds 3 x 10-30 secs

• Burpees 3 x 10-50

Exercise: Pull-ups/Australian Pull-up

Another body weight classic is the pull-up. No need to fear if you are not quite ready for a full on pull-up. There are many other variations that work the same muscles and movement patterns. In order to bust out perfect chest to bar reps, your whole upper body must be able to generate coordinated force. Progressing through exercises ensures this is an easily accomplished goal, only requiring hard work and commitment.

The Australian Pull-Up can be used if you are new to upper body pulling movements such as the pull-up but you are not strong enough to do a pull-up. After progressing to 10-15 repetitions continuously with good form, your arms will be ready for any hill out there!

Exercise: Hollow Body Hold

Gymnasts and divers are very familiar with the pleasant burn from this abdominal strengthening movement the Hollow Body Hold. This involves lying on your back with the hands and feet off the ground about 8-12 inches. Not to bad right? Just wait. To make it harder, contract and stabilize your core, starting to rock back and forth like a see-saw on your whole back without bending in the waist or letting the feet/hand touch the ground. This movement takes time to learn but the effort is worth the results, namely a stronger, more defined midsection!

Exercise: Burpees

Simple yet effective, burpees can be done anywhere or everywhere. Start in the push-up position and lower to the ground. Push to the starting position, and then jump the feet to the hands in one fluent motion. Now stand up and finish but jumping in the air with the hands over the head. After landing, place the hands on the floor and step the legs back. Now repeat that!

Not only can these be used to improve fitness but also to measure it. For women, doing 40-50 in a 3 minute period indicates that you are fitter than average (5). This movement may involve a small learning curve, but there are many ways to make this movement easier and manageable for just about anyone.

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Advanced Strength Training for Runners

Kettlebell training and running go hand in hand!

Once you’ve progressed through the basic and intermediate routines, you can start to experiment with more complex strength training movements.

Do not rush learning and mastering the basics! Basic strength exercises can be scaled and modified for a long time, really it is a life long learning process.

Combine the below routine with the beginner routine (1x a week) and the intermediate routine (1x a week). Perform the following exercises to completion one after the other, focusing on building full body power and explosiveness.

• Power Cleans 3 x 5

• Head Bangers 3 x 8

• Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch 3x15

Exercise: Power Cleans

Rarely are runners ever introduced the explosive, whole body movement known as the Power Clean. As far as strength, power, and muscle development goes, power cleans checks all the boxes. Like most barbell lifts it is best to learn the movement from an experienced lifter. Hire a coach so you can learn how to perform the movement correctly, effectively, and safely. It is recommended to start very light, starting with 3 sets of 5 reps. The time invested into this movement will pay dividends on the race course. Especially for a strong finish. 

Exercise: Head Bangers

Head Bangers are a modification of the infamous pull-up. Start with pulling up on a bar to place your chin over it. Then push your body away from the bar as far as possible followed by quickly pulling yourself back to the bar. This should all be done without letting your chin fall below the bar. 

There are many variations to this motion including changing the grip on the bar or leg position. When first starting this movement, aim for 3 sets of 8, and following the principle of progressive overload, add a few more reps each week.

Exercise: Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch

Coordination, speed, and strength are what you will develop with the Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch, and it’s imperative you perform this movement safely. Single arm dumbbell snatch 

This lift can be done with lighter weights at first and increased after gaining experience and proper patterning.

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Become a Multi-Disciplinary Athlete

Whether you’re new to running or an advanced trainee, you’ll benefit from incorporating proper resistance training into your wellness routine.

Strength Training builds muscle, burns body fat, ramps up your metabolism, and strengthens your skeleton, tendons/ligaments, and fascia.

Strength training the right amount will make you a better runner, and a healthier person.

Wild Free Organic recommends Vivobarefoot footwear - modern footwear made with natural human physiology, minimalism, and eco-conscious in mind. Vivobarefoot has zero-drop, wide toe-box shoes that can be used from the office to the gym to the tundra, and everything in-between.

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References:

1. Cavanagh, P. R. & Lafortune, M. A. Ground reaction forces in distance running. J. Biomech. 13, 397–406 (1980).

2. Nagahara, R., Mizutani, M., Matsuo, A., Kanehisa, H. & Fukunaga, T. Association of Sprint Performance With Ground Reaction Forces During Acceleration and Maximal Speed Phases in a Single Sprint. J. Appl. Biomech. 34, 104–110 (2019).

3. Gerlach, K. E. et al. Kinetic changes with fatigue and relationship to injury in female runners. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 37, 657–663 (2005).

4. Christina, K. A., White, S. C. & Gilchrist, L. A. Effect of localized muscle fatigue on vertical ground reaction forces and ankle joint motion during running. Hum. Mov. Sci. 20, 257–276 (2001).

5. BMI, Endurance-strength Abilities, Female Students, Health-related Fitness. Int. J. Sports Sci. 9 (2013).

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Carter Denne

Carter Denne is a physician with a Masters Degree in health science. With a strong background in athletics and sports science, Carter applies his health and wellness knowledge in his career and through educating others.

You can follow and connect with Carter through his Instagram @carterdenne.

30 day Arm growth experiment

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

I performed a 30-day experiment to grow my arms and forearms because even though I had been training my arms with compounds for years and increasingly directly with bodybuilding techniques, my upper arms and forearms were still sitting at just 15" and 12.25" respectively, and decided I wanted to grow them both to the next level.

The premise was simple:

Build as much size as possible in one month while simultaneously improving the symmetry between my biceps, triceps, and forearms

To do that I dramatically increased my arm training frequency, changed my exercise selection, altered my diet, and focused on recovery.

Background - Having a 77.5" wingspan at a height of 72.5", I have found it difficult to increase the size of my arms. Strength was never a limiting factor except in tricep-heavy pressing movements. I've been able to row and pull-up as much as my back can handle, and grip (mixed) more than my deadlift, but I always have had issues adding arm mass. I've tried blood flow restriction training (BFRT), the "chin-ups & compounds = big arms" approach, a dedicated arm day, everything that is typically recommended. I saw limited progress from each of those methods, but my arm size never increased dramatically like promised.

With the experiment, I started a lean bulk a few days prior and I made my arms a major focus. Every day for a month, I did five weekday morning workouts exclusively targeting the arms. Other weekly regular workouts also included direct arm training scattered between two bodybuilding workouts, four weekday full body workouts, and a Saturday strongman workout. The full workout protocol is below.

30-Day Before and After Results

Arm Measurements - Day 1 vs Day 30. Pictures Taken Flexed but Unpumped

In the span of 30 days my left and right arms increased from 15 1/8" to 15 1/2", an increase of 3/8"! To gain that much size naturally in a month is phenomenal. Additionally, I started to do a lot more direct forearm work, increasing in size my left and right forearms from 12 1/4" to 12 3/4", a whopping increase of 1/2"!

Arguably my forearm gains are the more impressive of the two results from the 30 day arm challenge, having registered 1/2” gain from a smaller starting diameter.

Symmetry approved across the board. My forearms are now more symmetrical with my upper arms, and I was able to add some size to the long head of my triceps, which forms the coveted “horseshoe”. All measurements were performed upon waking up in the morning, flexed with no pump.

Scroll through the four photos too see all the data. You’ll notice that I actually put on 1/4” on my upper arms in the first 10 days of the program, and then there was a 20 day plateau until I hit my first 15 1/2” measurement. If you’re fine with slightly less overall progress but over a shorter time-frame, run the below workout protocol over weeks instead of the full 30 days.

30 Day Arm Challenge Protocol

In order to push new arm growth, this program will push your limits and require dedication and consistency. Quick 15-20 minute morning arm workouts keep muscle protein synthesis elevated locally in the biceps, triceps, and forearms, and the nightly workouts push the myofibrillar hypertrophy further with heavier, higher recruitment exercises.

Nutrition for Arm Growth

For muscle growth to occur you need to eat in an overall caloric surplus. Since the arms are already a smaller, more difficult muscle group to grow, I would keep calories on average about 300-500 over maintenance. I stacked my calories and carbs around my workouts. I drank a muscle building shake containing pasture raised eggs and protein after every morning and night workout, and that helped tremendously. Meal timing is only useful though if the rest of your diet is cleaned up and on point.

I was also running a Cistanche and Cholesterol Protocol during this 30-day arm challenge, and I definitely think that positively contributed to my success of adding 3/8” to my upper arms and 1/2” to my forearms. None of these nutritional tips will matter though without enough water. Proper hydration is so important because water is the primary component of muscle tissue, so endeavor to drink 1 gallon of pure filtered water daily.

Recovery for Arm Growth

With this much intensity, frequency, and volume applied to such small muscle groups, sleep and recovery need to be prioritized. Aim for 7-9 hours of high quality sleep per night. I also used the sauna 3-4x a week for 20 minutes. While in the sauna I massaged my arms and forearms, driving blood-flow to the area and breaking up any tight tissues I encountered. Heat therapy is very healing and boosts growth hormone release. By massaging my fascia I allowed my arms to stretch the fascia and therefore, room to grow. Be mindful of your cortisol levels and don’t run into adrenal fatigue.

Morning Workouts keep Growth Stimulated 24/7

Muscle protein synthesis stays elevated for hours after exercise, and the purpose of morning workouts for this arm growth experiment is to elevate MPS first thing in the morning. Morning workouts are also a good opportunity to increase the mind muscle connection and get a satisfying arm pump. It’s during the five weekly morning workouts where you can really examine what needs to be worked on symmetry wise, and modify any variables that might improve symmetry. Establishing a morning routine is important, make arm workouts a part of it!

Evening Workouts for Building Arm Muscles

Muscle protein synthesis in the arms is declining around the time an evening workout is scheduled. Evening workouts load the weight higher and stimulate muscle protein synthesis for the body more systemically. If you are going to a gym, there is more equipment at your disposal too, so a great variation of exercises can be performed. At the end of an evening workout, perform some stretching and self-recovery practices in order to reduce muscle degradation. If muscle degradation levels are high, triggering MPS is less effective. Recovery is just as important as the workouts themselves!

Morning Workouts

These workouts are performed in a circuit fashion, with each exercise proceeding the last. Rest for 60-90 seconds in-between. If 5 rounds is too long of a workout to perform in the morning, perform 3 rounds instead.

Monday, Thursday

Ring Tricep Extensions 5 x 20 - 30

• This exercise is easy on the elbows and hits the triceps long head very effectively. Sit deeply into the stretch at the bottom and engage with your triceps to drive out of that position. Keep the tension constant.

Ring Curls 5 x 20 - 30

• Ring Curls are a great exercise which overloads the biceps safely. Your body-weight provides a good stimulus, but the force curve of the exercise ensures relatively even resistance throughout the curl. If you don’t have rings perform them later at the gym on a smith machine.

DB Wrist Curls 5 x 10

• Wrist Curls are one of the best ways to build forearm mass, and the Dumbbell variety is no joke. Start counting reps once you can feel the burn.

Tuesday, Friday

Band Tricep Extensions/Overhead Band Tricep Extensions 5 x 20

• I like to superset these exercises. Hang two bands off of a pull-up bar, one more stronger than the other. I use two 41” resistance bands, and when you tire with the stronger band from the tricep extesnions, move to the lighter band for the overhead exercise. Focus on improving you mind muscle connection with your triceps on each rep, and hold the top of each contraction for a couple seconds

Hammer Curls 5 x 20

• Hammer Curls are a fantastic dumbbell exercise which evenly builds the biceps and forearm muscles. Keep your elbows in front of your body to place more strain on your biceps and to limit the amount of movement “cheating”. If you perform this exercise correctly you’ll discover it’s one of the best arm and pump exercises.

Forearm Club Raises 5 x 25 - 20

• Find an offset weight such as an Indian club or a thick piece of metal piping. This movement trains forearm adduction, and is a very balanced forearm builder.This also makes for a good burnout exercise after the other two upper arm movements.

Wednesday

Wednesday’s workout is one of the easiest to perform at home, only requiring a doorway pull-up bar. I also like this workout because it improves body-weight movement patterns and strength. The arm pump I got from these workouts was the weakest, but has the most functional carryover.

Close-Grip Push-Ups 3 x 30 - 40

• Place your hands close together but neutral (diamond push-ups can aggravate your shoulders). Perform push-ups, keeping your core tight, scapula in proper positions, and direct all your focus to the triceps. Be sure to lockout each rep as that is where the triceps are activated the most.

Close-Grip Chin-Ups 5 x 10 - 15

• Grab onto a chin-up bar with a supinated grip, hands just a couples inches apart. Perform a chin-up but lay slightly more horizontal and place all your focus on your biceps. Squeeze at the top and slowly go back down to a dead hang. Done properly these are a fantastic bicep mass builder.

2-3” Bar Hangs 5 x Hold As Long As Possible

• Bar hangs are a great way to build forearm strength and endurance, and I like to do them for less time on thicker handles. Wrap your thumbs around the bar and if getting a thick bar setup is too difficult, perform towel hangs instead, which is just as challenging for your grip.

Night Workouts

Upper and lower arm exercises for the night workouts were more varied than the morning exercises, in both exercise selection and in set and rep schemes. Below are 3 example mini arm workouts you can add onto your routine over the course of a week.

Arm Workout 1

Barbell Curls 4x8

• The classic bicep building exercise, the key is to keep your elbows in front of your body in order to place most of the strain directly on your biceps. Use an E-Z bar to reduce wrist strain if that’s an issue you encounter.

Decline Close Grip Bench Press 4x8

• Two variations include performing this exercise on a flat bench with a smith machine, and using a Slingshot. The smith machine takes the small shoulder stabilizers out of the exercise, allowing the triceps to be focused on easier this way. The slingshot helps to reduce the weight of the bar off of the chest, therefore reducing the activation of the chest and placing it onto the triceps.

Behind the Back Barbell Wrist Curls 4x10

• With arms behind the back, it’s really easy to activate the forearms. Don’t count reps until your forearms are already burning, and then push through the pain. Use short rest periods for this exercise.

Arm Workout 2

DB Zotterman Curls 4x12

• Zotterman Curls are one of my favorite bicep exercises, very similar to hammer curls in the muscles they target. The zotterman curl brings the arm across the body, and by doing so you’re able to contract the top of the movement better than a hammer curl due to a move protected shoulder joint position. You’ll have to alternate reps here, so it makes for a good finisher when the biceps and forearms are already fatigued.

Overhead DB Tricep Extension 4x12

• The Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension is a classic tricep exercise, and one that’s easily performed at any gym. Standing or seated, I like this exercise less for the contraction at the top and more for the deep stretch I can achieve on my triceps at the bottom. Sink into that stretch, feel your triceps, and then use your triceps to drive the weight upwards.

Reverse DB Curls 4x20

• Reverse Dumbbell Curls are a very flexible exercise, and they can be performed from heavy to very light with a variety of reversed grip positions.

Arm Workout 3

Bicep Preacher Curl Machine 4x15

• I like to use machines every once in a while as a way to take the stabilizer muscles out of the movement in order to fully target the desired muscle, in this case the biceps. I like to hold the stretch, the contraction, and keep the MMC my focus during the movement itself.

Tricep Extension Machine 4x15

• Same concept as above with the Triceps Extension Machine. I find it difficult to contract the triceps compared to stretching the muscle (both can help grow a muscle), and this machine makes it really easy to get an amazing contraction on your entire tricep muscle. Hold the contraction and use a slow controlled tempo in-between.

Plate Pinches 4x Hold As Long As Possible

• Plate Pinches are a semi-unconventional grip exercise, but one that is easily performed at any gym. The two ways to perform this exercise is to to pick up a single 25 - 45 pound plate and hold for as long as possible, or increase the width of the pinch by stacking 10 pound plates together. Both methods improve grip strength.

GROW BIG ARMS

Follow this routine diligently for 30 days and I can guarantee you’ll see noticeable hypertrophy results. In fact, if you have the advantage of having a shorter wingspan with long muscle bellies, you’ll see even better results than I did! If you follow this routine, please share your results via the comments below.

Cistanche Provides and Extra Edge

And if you’re looking for an extra edge in building muscle, getting stronger, and leaning out I recommend you research into the herb cistanche. I used cistanche to boost my free testosterone levels by 53% in just thirty days, it’s one of the only proven testosterone boosting herbs that exists. Nootropics Depot sells cistanche powder with a high level of standardization.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Strength Training

The Cistanche Cholesterol Protocol for Boosting Testosterone

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated February 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Cistanche is a parasitic plant found in deserts and used in Chinese medicine. Cholesterol is a building block for many hormones found throughout the body. Cistanche has testosterone boosting properties, and is documented in reducing blood cholesterol levels. Combining cistanche supplementation and cholesterol consumption creates an androgenic environment in the body that increases the production of sex hormones like testosterone, improves reproductive health, builds muscle and strength, and increases exercise performance.

Cistanche phelypaea

I performed an experiment where I supplemented with powdered cistanche daily while simultaneously increasing my dietary cholesterol consumption in order to see how it affected my free testosterone levels, rate of muscle growth, and strength with key compound barbell lifts. My results were dramatic, most notably I experienced a >50% increase in free testosterone levels in one month by supplementing with cistanche and cholesterol, but before seeing the full results of my experiment and what I call the CC Protocol, let’s dig into the science which led me to be intrigued in the first place into the androgenic and anabolic potential that combining cistanche and cholesterol has.

Cistanche and Cholesterol Science

To understand the powerful combination of cistanche and cholesterol, first the science of cholesterol must be understood.

Cholesterol is a Hormone Building Block

Steroidal hormones (produced by the body) are all derived from cholesterol. Steroid hormones influence metabolism, immune functions, inflammation, fluid and salt balances, development and maintenance of sexual characteristics, and regulate the bodies ability to withstand illness and injury.

The liver produces cholesterol for use in creating hormones, and cholesterol can also be acquired through diet with foods like pasture raised eggs.

To start the steroid hormone creation process, cholesterol is altered via an enzyme reaction to synthesize pregnenolone, the “master” steroid base molecule from which other hormones are created.

Notice the similarities between cholesterol and testosterone. Purples areas highlight the differences where there are elemental changes. Black = carbon, white = hydrogen, red = oxygen.

Cistanche the Androgenic Herb

Cistanche is one of the few herbs that can increase androgenic hormone levels, making you more manly, whereas there are many herbs and plants that we known of which increase estrogen levels throughout the body. Cistanche’s androgenic effects begin through it’s influence on cholesterol. Cistanche improves cholesterol transport throughout the body, reducing cholesterol levels in the blood even with a high cholesterol diet (1). Simultaneously, cistanche raises testosterone levels (2), improves time to fatigue, improves endurance, and reduces muscle breakdown (3).

Many of these effects are because cistanche is a vasorelaxant (relaxes the vascular system, lowering blood pressure), improves glucose tolerance, and reduces glucose elevation after meals (4). Typically steroidal hormones increase blood pressure, so these blood pressure lowering effects are a positive health benefit of cistanche supplementation. Additionally, the blood glucose improving effects of cistanche hint at better nutrient partitioning, a beneficial effect for improving lean body mass and reducing the creation of body fat.

It is important to note that high dosages of cistanche has shown differing effects on the liver. One study showed that cistanche can cause mild hepatic edema (2) (swelling of the liver), while other research has shown cistanche to be liver protective (4). There is conflicting information on the safety of cistanche as it relates to liver health, and this is likely due to differing study design. Cistanche does affect the liver to some degree because the production of steroidal hormones mostly occurs in liver. If male hormone levels are unbalanced they optimal wellness is not possible. Symptoms of low testosterone including depression, fatigue, decreased bone mass, increased fat mass, and an increased risk of anemia. If suffering from low testosterone levels, increased natural production of steroidal hormones can dramatically change ones life.

Overall cistanche has been deemed to be safe for human use at dosages below 10 grams per day, but out of an abundance of caution, I would not recommend using cistanche if you have preexisting health conditions, especially those of the liver. If you are healthy, when you first use cistanche, supplement with it for only for 30 days in a row and with no more than 2 grams per day. These are the conditions of the experiment that I ran and therefore of the CC Protocol.

The Wild Free Organic herbal page on Cistanche has much more information.

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Supplementation of Cistanche and Cholesterol

Cistanche can be supplemented through a powder or extract, more details on this below.

The easiest way to add more cholesterol to the diet is through increased egg consumption.

For most people, dietary cholesterol isn’t bad as it raises good HDL cholesterol (5), and daily egg consumption promotes favorable shifts in HDL lipid composition (6). High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol helps remove other forms of cholesterol from the bloodstream, and higher levels of HDL cholesterol are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Additionally, higher HDL leads to more testosterone (7).

Can Cistanche Really Boost Testosterone?

The experiment I undertook by pairing cistanche supplementation with increase cholesterol consumption was conducted to answer the following question:

How will body fat, lean body mass, free testosterone levels, and strength in major compound lifts change in response to an increasing caloric intake, high volume resistance exercise utilizing progressive overload, a dramatic bump in dietary cholesterol, and daily supplementation of the herb cistanche.

My results from this protocol were incredible. In five weeks I added 5 lbs (2.25 kg) of lean body mass, boosted my free testosterone levels by 52%, increased my strength across the board on major compound lifts, and only increased my body fat levels by 0.7%. I was 27 years old at the time. Remember, the sample size for this experiment was N=1 (me). My results from this experiment were my own, and your results will vary from running the same or modified CC protocol.

The CC Protocol

The two main variables of this experiment were the daily addition of 2 grams of cistanche and at least 6 egg yolks (~1000 mg cholesterol). The idea was that the cistanche supplementation (via limited research available) would stimulate the body to produce more androgenic hormones, and the dramatic increase in cholesterol consumption would support the creation of these androgenic hormones like testosterone.

The cistanche I used for this experiment I purchased from Lost Empire Herbs, a 8:1 dual extract which contains echinacosides greater than 20% and aceteosides greater than 6%. Since then I’ve used the cistanche from Nootropics Depot which is more highly standardized in echinacosides and acetosides at >50% and >10% respectively. Echinacosides and aceteosides are the main phytochemicals responsible for the health benefits of cistanche, so an extracted standardized product will be more powerful in effect than an unextracted raw powder.

Since the extraction from the Nootropics Depot cistanche is greater than the product I used, less is needed for the same effect, more information on dosing at the end of the article.

Variables I manipulated:

1. I increased my daily caloric intake from 3500 calories to 4000 calories, increasing calories by roughly 100 each week.

2. I kept my macros fairly consistent at ratios of 35% carbohydrates, 45% fat, and 20% protein. These macronutrient percentages at times fluctuated by a couple percentage points week to week.

3. I increased my weekly weight lifting tonnage by about 25%. Tonnage is the total weight lifted, in this case from all exercises combined. Tonnage increases were from a combination of heavier weight and higher reps.

4. I consumed a post workout shake containing 600 calories, 19 g carbs, 42 g fat, and 36 g protein. The shake consisted of 8 oz coconut milk, 6 raw egg yolks, 30 grams hydrolyzed whey, and 3 grams of creatine monohydrate. Before this 5 week experiment I was not drinking a protein shake post-workout.

5. I consumed 1 g (1/2 tsp) cistanche (a desert plant) morning and night. Method of delivery was mixed with 1/2 shot glass of apple cider vinegar taken on a relatively empty stomach. Before this I had never used cistanche. The use of ACV was simply for overall digestive benefit.

Variables I did not manipulate, instead keeping consistent:

1. I consumed the same pre-workout shake before and during the experiment.

2. I slept 7-8 hours a night.

3. I kept my NEAT consistent (8).

4. Food quality remained consistent. Calories were adjusted upwards, but the majority of the food consumed was whole and unprocessed.

Now let’s see the data I collected from the experiment.

Cistanche Benefits Strength Training

Beyond basic easily acquired data points such as strength improvements in the gym, and body-weight measurements, I also collected body fat and lean body mass data via DEXA and checked my free testosterone levels at the start and conclusion of this five week test. All of this data is outlined below, starting with the most important.

How Cistanche Increased my Lean Body Mass

To test my body fat, lean body mass, and bone mineral content, DEXA scans are the gold standard in ease of use and accuracy. The company I use to perform these tests is BodySpec, a mobile DEXA scanning company that operates in California, Washington, and Texas. For the before and after DEXA scans, I went in under the same conditions. Those conditions were:

• DEXA scan at ~7:30 am.

• Used the bathroom to poop and pee before the test.

• Went into the test fasted, having consumed no food

• Consumed ~24 oz of water upon waking up.

11-05-18 DEXA Results

Total Body Fat % = 10.8%. Total Mass (lbs) = 180.7. Fat Tissue (lbs) = 19.4. Lean Tissue (lbs) = 153.2

01-07-2019 DEXA Results

Total Body Fat % = 11.5%. Total Mass (lbs) = 188 Fat Tissue (lbs) = 21.7. Lean Tissue (lbs) = 158.2

The before DEXA scan was actually taken a month before the start of the CC Protocol, with my weight being 180.7 lbs. A month later at the start of the protocol my weight was 181.5 lbs measured via a scale. Considering the error in weight measurements day to day, I believe the 0.8 lb difference is negligible. In the month preceding my experimentation with the CC Protocol, I didn’t have any lifestyle changes.

DEXA data shows that I gained 5 lbs of lean body mass (LBM) in 35 days, adding 0.7% bodyfat to my frame, and bone mineral content (BMC) remained unchanged. The biggest increases were seen in my legs, which I subjected to high volume training, but my upper body also saw significant increases in LBM. I only added body fat to the trunk and android regions of my body.

How Cistanche Increased my Free Testosterone

To test my free testosterone levels, I used Everlywell, an at home testing service which has dozens of different tests available, from hormone tests to micronutrient and STD tests. Their free-testosterone test is saliva based, and only tests free testosterone levels. Ideally I would have gotten a full hormone blood panel that also tested other important variables such as total testosterone, cortisol, estradiol, and more, but for practical reasons I used Everlywell’s at home testing service.

The before and after free testosterone tests were taken under the same conditions, which are as follows:

• Taken after a full 8 hours of sleep and wasn’t in a state of stress.

• Taken first thing in the morning as they recommend, before the consumption of any fluids.

• Taken after fasting for ~10 hours.

Everlywell uses saliva to measure the amount of free testosterone in your body, and while not as accurate as a full blood panel, a price point of $50 for each test makes it a great option for consistently testing your free testosterone levels. Free testosterone is a more direct measure of androgenic potential as it is free testosterone than can attach to androgen receptors and exert an androgenic effect, whereas much of the testosterone in the bloodstream is bound to proteins which limits it’s bioavailability.

In 35 days I increased my free testosterone levels from 94 pg/ml to 143 pg/ml, an increase of 52%. I have had 3-4 blood testosterone tests done prior to these two tests, and never have my free testosterone levels fluctuated by more than 10-15%. I attribute this increase in testosterone to mainly the CC Protocol, with the 1000 mg of cholesterol and 2 grams of cistanche daily working synergistically to raise my testosterone levels.

How Cistanche Boosted my Strength

During this experiment I regained strength I had previously acquired in the past on major compound lifts, but at a lower, leaner body-weight. By the end of the CC Protocol my relative strength was at an all time high. From the start of the CC protocol to the end the following strength changes occurred:

Deadlift

• Day 2 - 315# 2x10

• Day 7 - 405# 3x3

• Day 11 - 335# 3x10

• Day 15 - 425# 5x3

• Day 18 - 355# 4x10

• Day 23 - 435# 3x3

• Day 25 - 375# 3x10

• Day 31 - 455# 4x3, 1x2

1RM: 420 lbs to 482 lbs (15% increase)

Squat

• Day 4 - 345# 1x1, 225# 3x10

• Day 8 - 315# 4x3

• Day 10 - 275# 3x10

• Day 14 - 335# 5x3

• Day 17 - 295# 3x10

• Day 21 - 355# 4x3, 365# 1x3

• Day 24 - 315# 3x10

• Day 30 - 375# 4x3, 385# 1x3

1RM: 345 lbs to 408 lbs (16% increase)

Incline Press

• Day 7 - 155# 1x7, 1x6

• Day 10 - 135# (paused) 5x8

• Day 14 - 175# 2x5

• Day 17 - 155# (paused) 5x8

• Day 21 - 175# 5x5

• Day 24 - 160# (paused) 4x8

• Day 30 - 185# 3x5

• Day 33 - 135# 3x15

1RM: 186 lbs to 208 lbs (12% increase)

Note - 1RM beginning and end values were calculated using a 1RM calculator. The bolded italicized values were the sets I used to calculate the 1RM for each lift.

It’s important to again reiterate I had hit these strength numbers prior in my lifting career. The big difference is how effortless the linear progression over those 35 days carried me back to within 5% of my prior all-time best levels of strength, all while much leaner and weighting less. It happened at a rate much faster than I had experienced before. I do not completely attribute these strength gains purely to central nervous system and muscle memory, and I believe the CC Protocol contributed to at least 50% of the strength increases I experienced in the short time frame I ran the CC Protocol.

How the CC Protocol Changed my Physiology

I relied on my DEXA scans to give me better data on how my body composition changed during the CC Protocol, but there were some obvious physiological changes that occurred during this experiment.

Chest, shoulder, arm, and forearm thickness increased. My abdominal leanness was nearly unchanged. Before the CC Protocol I was struggling to grow a beard, and afterwards my beard hair grew in much thicker. I hypothesize that this is from higher circulating testosterone levels, and some of the free testosterone aromatized into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is one of the primary agents responsible for driving facial hair growth (9), and also male pattern baldness. The beard growth was a great visual anecdotal evidence to support the Everlywell test results. If you want to grow a thicker beard, the combination of cistanche and cholesterol might be worth experimenting with (as long as you don’t have family history of male pattern baldness).

Boost Testosterone with Cistanche

After reviewing the data from this experiment, I am confident in stating that the combination of cholesterol and cistanche, along with a healthy diet, good sleep, and a well-designed weight training program is an effective protocol for building muscle and increasing strength.

I personally experienced no side effects, minor or major, during this experiment, and it appears to be safe* for young men. With that said, to be extra safe, I wouldn’t run this protocol for any longer than 30 - 40 days the first time around, and I would strongly recommend against doing this if you have any underlying health conditions. This article is for informational purposes and you should consult with a medical professional before supplementing with anything new or making dramatic lifestyle changes.

If you decide to run the CC Protocol, make the most of the experience and make sure to gather as much data as possible, definitely a before and after body composition test, and if you have the cash or insurance, a hormone panel before and after.

Where to Buy Cistanche Supplement?

There are many different sellers of cistanche supplements worldwide which can be seen by visiting a marketplace like Amazon.

Cistanche Tubulosa Powder

My favorite supplier of cistanche is Nootropics Depot. Their cistanche product is highly standardized, containing a minimum of 50% echinacosides and 10% acetoside, overall delivering more echinacosides and acetoside per gram than most other cistanche products. I also like Nootropics Depot’s cistanche product because it doesn’t have a repugnant taste, which is something I have noticed from cistanche provided by other suppliers. The cistanche from Nootropics Depot works well and is reasonably priced.

Dosing Nootropics Depot Cistanche: Dosing is listed on the label at 200 mg though in my experience 2-3x that amount can be taken if desired and it’s still well within the known safety margins.

Start with 200 mg (~1/4 tsp) and after 1-2 weeks if everything is okay and a more powerful effect is desired increase to 300-400mg. Scale from there.

If purchasing cistanche from a Chinese pharmacy ask for Rou Cong-Rong, which is how they refer to cistanche. They may have raw or extracted powders, purchase whichever is preferred and dose accordingly.

Much more information on cistanche can be found on the Cistanche Herb Page.

References:

1. Shimoda H, Tanaka J, Takahara Y, Takemoto K, Shan SJ, Su MH. The hypocholesterolemic effects of Cistanche tubulosa extract, a Chinese traditional crude medicine, in mice. Am J Chin Med. 2009;37(6):1125-38.

2. Wang T, Chen C, Yang M, Deng B, Kirby GM, Zhang X. Cistanche tubulosa ethanol extract mediates rat sex hormone levels by induction of testicular steroidgenic enzymes. Pharm Biol. 2016;54(3):481-7.

3. Cai RL, Yang MH, Shi Y, Chen J, Li YC, Qi Y. Antifatigue activity of phenylethanoid-rich extract from Cistanche deserticola. Phytother Res. 2010;24(2):313-5.

4. Morikawa T, Xie H, Pan Y, et al. A Review of Biologically Active Natural Products from a Desert Plant Cistanche tubulosa. Chem Pharm Bull. 2019;67(7):675-689.

5. Herron KL, Vega-lopez S, Conde K, Ramjiganesh T, Shachter NS, Fernandez ML. Men classified as hypo- or hyperresponders to dietary cholesterol feeding exhibit differences in lipoprotein metabolism. J Nutr. 2003;133(4):1036-42.

6. Andersen CJ, Blesso CN, Lee J, et al. Egg consumption modulates HDL lipid composition and increases the cholesterol-accepting capacity of serum in metabolic syndrome. Lipids. 2013;48(6):557-67.

7. Freedman DS, O'brien TR, Flanders WD, Destefano F, Barboriak JJ. Relation of serum testosterone levels to high density lipoprotein cholesterol and other characteristics in men. Arterioscler Thromb. 1991;11(2):307-15.

8. Levine JA. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002;16(4):679-702.

9. Farthing MJ, Mattei AM, Edwards CR, Dawson AM. Relationship between plasma testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations and male facial hair growth. Br J Dermatol. 1982;107(5):559-64.

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Daily Supplements for General Health

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated December 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Some nutrients are absolutely essential for good health, and with a healthy, balanced diet, it is possible to get enough of them to avoid any health issues. The Standard American Diet (SAD), the diet most common in the western world, is high in sugar, acellular carbs, heavily processed and oxidized oils, unknown additives, and chemical contamination; it’s a diet disaster. And if you do follow a healthier diet predominately featuring unprocessed foods, you won’t be eating as nutritious as you believe. Modern agricultural practices have reduced the micronutrient loads of most fruits and vegetables over the past 50-100 years (1). Even if you follow a healthy diet you might not be receiving the micronutrients your body needs to function at its best due to declined soil nutrition.

When switching from a Standard American Diet (SAD) to a healthier diet consisting primarily of organic, micronutrient-rich unprocessed foods, there is an awkward transition period that can be stressful mentally, physically, and emotionally. During periods of stress it is doubly important to make sure you are getting enough of the most commonly deficient micronutrients, as this will improve your stress response. Otherwise if your diet is overall good and you’re really trying to optimize your health, then I recommend taking the following daily supplement to cover common nutrient imbalances and deficiencies.

Again the goal should be to get all nutrients from a healthy diet over the course of a week, but with a modern lifestyle that’s not always possible. Having these supplements on hand allows you to intelligently supplement these key nutrients when needed for a healthier lifestyle.

Optimize Health with Five Supplements

All values listed for the minerals are in reference to the elemental form. The weights listed on a supplement bottle are always in reference to the elemental weight per serving, not the overall chemical weight per serving.

Take every morning/early afternoon (with a meal):

• 5000 - 10000 IU Vitamin D3

• 15:1 mg Zinc:Copper

• 1.5 - 3 grams EPA + DHA Omega-3 Fatty Acids (fish oil or algae oil)

Take every evening (with a meal):

• 200 - 400 mg Magnesium

• 3 -10 mg Boron

Supplement with Vitamin D

Vitamin D is produced endogenously through sunlight exposure. How long you need to stay in the sun to synthesize your daily amount of vitamin D depends on the color of your skin, but this ranges from 10-60 minutes. Darker skin colors need more time in the sun to produce the same amount of vitamin D as lighter skin colors.

Vitamin D is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide, affecting an estimated 50% of the global population (2). Even “healthy” adolescents are commonly vitamin D deficient (3), and that’s a big deal when vitamin D is critically important for growth and development during adolescence (4). A vitamin D deficiency can have wide ranging negative effects on your health, such as increased risk of infection, fatigue, depression, muscular pain, bone loss, hair loss, and more.

If you are experiencing very cloudy weather, live in a low-sun area, or can’t work some sun exposure into your schedule for whatever reason, supplementing with vitamin D3 is a good thing to do.

A Note on RDA’s: The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D is 600 IU’s of vitamin D a day for adults, and 800 IU for those 70 and older. Keep in mind though that the RDA for a micronutrient isn’t set based on optimal health outcomes, but rather the bare minimum of that micronutrient required to prevent disease for 97.5% of the populace. Preventing disease =/= optimal health, as anyone can tell you. The RDA for vitamin D is the minimum amount needed to prevent rickets.

So what is optimal then? The Vitamin D Council recommends vitamin D blood levels between 40 and 80 ng/mL to be optimal. 40 to 20 ng/ml are classified as normal, and levels below 20 ng/mL are deficient. Vitamin D levels beyond 80 ng/ml are not achievable naturally, instead requiring supplementation, and levels beyond 150 ng/ml are classified as being toxic. After testing your vitamin D blood levels, use the graphic below to determine the amount of vitamin D needed to reach the recommended 70 ng/ml via supplementation.Without blood testing, most people average vitamin D levels of 15 - 30 ng/ml.

Vitamin D blood levels and the amount of vitamin D supplementation to reach them.

I recommend taking the vitamin D in the morning, as vitamin D is typically synthesized via sun exposure. Vitamin D with it’s link to the circadian rhythm is stimulating, and taking vitamin D at night might impact sleep quality. I recommend the Vitamin D3 5000 sold by Nordic Naturals . I like their supplement because they suspend the vitamin D3 in extra virgin olive oil instead of lesser quality expeller-pressed soybean oil which is common practice for most Vitamin D3 supplement manufacturers.

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Supplement with Zinc + Copper

Zinc deficiency, defined as a lower intake than the RDA, can be caused through reduced dietary intake, inadequate absorption, or increased body system utilization (i.e. gaining muscle, bodybuilding). The most common cause of zinc deficiency though is reduced dietary intake, which illustrates just how little of this micronutrient most people consume. Remember the RDA is the bare minimum needed to not enter a diseased state.

Copper and Zinc are synergistic and antagonistic, and if too much zinc is consumed, a copper deficiency can occur, or vice versa.

Most common is copper excess, with zinc being deficient. In order to stay balanced, it is recommended to take a supplement which balances both minerals.

An excess of copper can lead to a variety of serious health issues (5), and a zinc deficiency leads to many of the same health issues:

Copper Excess Health Issues

• Learning disabilities

• ADHD, Autism

• Anxiety, Depression

• Acne, Hair loss

• Allergies

• Anemia

• Poor Immune function

• Sleep problems

• Poor concentration and focus,

• Chronic fatigue, and much more.

Zinc Deficiency Health Issues

• Compromised immune system

• Delayed growth

• Psychological and cognitive disorders

• Decreased testosterone levels

• Loss of appetite

• Wounds that won’t heal

• Lack of alertness

• Increased rates of anorexia.

Copper and zinc are absolutely essential to the proper functioning of the immune system, the endocrine system, and the nervous system, and an imbalance of copper and zinc throws those systems out of balance. The optimal ratio of zinc to copper to 10:1, but in the context of a copper rich diet, a supplement containing zinc to copper at a 15:1 ratio is more desirable. Jarrow’s Zinc Balance supplement (pictured above) contains 15 mg of zinc and 1 mg of copper, and I recommend to most people to take it daily to mitigate any zinc deficiencies and to help balance out their immune and endocrine systems. Have digestive issues? Zinc helps by healing epithelial tight junctions.

I find zinc to have a slight stimulating effect, so it’s best taken in the morning, and also with a meal. Zinc taken on an empty stomach can cause nausea. The higher the dosage, the greater then nausea, and that’s one of a few reasons why I don’t recommend 50 mg zinc supplements. 50 mg is above the tolerable upper limit (TUL) of 40 mg per day, and taken daily can quickly lead to a copper deficiency. Even with a zinc-demanding lifestyle (intense exercise, regular sex, heat therapy like a sauna), 15 mg supplemented is sufficient, and paired with a zinc rich diet, one zinc balance pill a day should balance out zinc and copper levels nicely.

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Supplement with Magnesium

Magnesium is the second most common micronutrient deficiency (6) behind vitamin D, and it’s critically important for a variety of processes throughout the body, such as cognition, high blood pressure, asthma, osteoporosis, muscle cramps and twitches, fatigue and muscle weakness, and an irregular heartbeat. In fact, low levels of magnesium have often been found to be a contributing factor for people with chronic diseases.

Magnesium is high in foods like pumpkin seeds, cashews, avocado, dark chocolate, bananas, and black beans.

Magnesium Breakthrough by biOptimizers

Magnesium Breakthrough by biOptimizers

The RDA of magnesium for adults (7) is 300 mg for women and 400 mg for men. If you exercise a lot an experience changing pressure in your ears, you have a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium citrate is a common supplemental form of magnesium, but magnesium citrate can cause diarrhea at higher dosages of 200+ mg.

Magnesium glycinate is a better alternative, and taken before bed can also help get the body relaxed and ready for sleep. Both magnesium and the amino acid glycine have been shown to increase deep restorative sleep when supplemented with.

Start with 200 mg of magnesium glycinate per night and see how you feel after a couple weeks, then bump to 400 mg and if there is a noticeable improvement, stay at that nightly dosage. Magnesium glycinate is a low-cost, widely available supplement. I recommend Magnesium Breakthrough by biOptimizers, they sell a highly absorbable magnesium supplement containing seven different bonded forms of magnesium that is highly bioavailable and easy on the stomach. If you prefer a natural food source, pumpkin seeds have lots of magnesium, with a 1/4 cup containing nearly 200 mg.

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Supplement with Boron

For modern agriculture, Boron is the second most common micronutrient deficiency in plants, and therefore deficient in everything else moving up that food chain. This is very important because we know boron is essential for the growth and maintenance of bone tissue, greatly improves wound healing, beneficially improves hormone levels (estradiol and testosterone), improves vitamin D status, and is cancer protective, just to name a few.

If you want to experience some of Wolverine’s superpowers, you can easily supplement with boron yourself.

On average most people ingest about 2 mg of boron a day, which is under the 3 mg or greater ideal dietary intake. For a person with a diet low in plant products such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts, their dietary intake of boron could be lower than even 1 mg of boron per day.

As more research is done on Boron, its importance as a trace micronutrient is becoming better understood. In the meantime, take zero chances and add boron to your daily supplement stack. You can either buy a boron supplement which is mostly filler, or use borax. Borax (sodium borate) has the same safety as table salt (similar LD50 as NaCl for Rats, and by extension, humans), and since it is a salt, borax is highly bioavailable. Buy a box from 20 Mule Team which is pure and nicely refined, and save a small jar for personal use. Use a 0.5 ml scoop (G82 Ultra Small Measuring Spoon), to dose ~10 mg boron per scoop.

Most studies on boron supplementation use a dose of 3 mg of elemental boron often through a compound like borax. Occasionally boron fructoborate has been used in studies on boron, but I prefer borax as it orders of magnitude cheaper, easier to use, and extremely bioavailable. I’ve supplemented with 10 mg a day for years, and that dosage covers all the scientifically supported beneficial effects boron has, and I’ve never experienced any negative health effects.

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Supplement with Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), and there are three main types of Omega-3 fatty acids: α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The two Omega-3 fatty acids that humans require are EPA + DHA. ALA is an Omega-3 fatty found in plant foods such as flax meal and chia seeds, and while it’s not necessarily bad for you, only approximately 5% converts into EPA and DHA, the primary Omega-3’s shown to have wide ranging health benefits.

Omega-3 fatty acids are a necessary and incredibly important fatty acid needed throughout the body, from the cardiovascular system to the brain. DHA and EPA have slightly different functions throughout the body, but overall Omega-3’s are essential for pre- and postnatal brain development, have a major influential on behavior and mood, are critical for cardiovascular health, reduce inflammation, and are required for the building of various tissues throughout the body (skin, brain, etc).

In the context of the overall diet, the higher your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, the better. And don’t worry about an Omega-3/Omega-6 ratio that is too high. It’s very difficult to achieve a 1:1 ratio in the context of modern society, and it would be nearly impossible to consume a diet dangerously rich in omega-3’s (over 10:1 possibly). Unless you are already consuming a seafood heavy diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and also minimize your omega-6 intake, the best way to ensure a good omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is through supplementation.

Algae Omega by Nordic Naturals is the best balance between price, purity, and environmental impact. Being derived from algae, each Algae Omega pills contains a higher amount of DHA Omega-3 fatty acids that is typically found in fish oil, which is better for brain health. Vitamin D3 is best taken in the morning because of it’s energizing impact due to circadian rhythm pathways.

Omega-3’s are also synergistic with turmeric and curcumin supplements, with both taken together reducing pain and inflammation more than if taken separately. For a curcumin supplement I recommend BioSchwartz Turmeric Curcumin Supplement.

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Live Healthier with Five Supplements

Before starting supplementation of any of the above micronutrients, please consult your health practitioner, and ideally get blood work done for reference to see if you are below the levels suggested for optimal health. If your vitamin D, zinc, an omega-3 levels are low but your magnesium is fine, then you can skip the magnesium supplementation!

There are a few ways to implement this supplementation routine. If you really wish to feel the unique effects of each supplement, and learn the most about how each of these compounds can improve your general health, energy, and mood, introduce one new supplement into your routine weekly. Take notes of how you feel and any positive or negative symptoms you experience. I would introduce them in this order.

Week 1 - 5000 IU Vitamin D

Week 2 - 200 mg Magnesium

Week 3 - 10 mg Boron

Week 4 - 15 mg Zinc + Copper

Week 5 - 2 grams of EPA + DHA Omega-3’s

If you want to dive in head first, taking all five supplements simultaneously at their prescribed dosages and timings, will cause a noticeable effect. It will be harder to determine which supplements fixed the most glaring nutrient deficiencies compared to if you follow the weekly plan above.

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References:

1. Donald R. Davis. Declining Fruit and Vegetable Nutrient Composition: What Is the Evidence? American Society for Horticultural Development.

2. Nair R, Maseeh A. Vitamin D: The "sunshine" vitamin. J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2012;3(2):118-26.

3. Gordon CM, Depeter KC, Feldman HA, Grace E, Emans SJ. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among healthy adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158(6):531-7.

4. Kremer R, Campbell PP, Reinhardt T, Gilsanz V. Vitamin D status and its relationship to body fat, final height, and peak bone mass in young women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;94(1):67-73.

5. Judy Tsafrir M.D. Copper Toxicity: A Common Cause of Psychiatric Symptoms. Psychology Today.

6. Guerrera MP, Volpe SL, Mao JJ. Therapeutic uses of magnesium. Am Fam Physician. 2009;80(2):157-62.

7. Magnesium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes for Health, Office of Dietary Supplement

Disclosure: Amazon affiliate links are used throughout the article. Wild Free Organic makes a small commission when a purchase is made through those links. This does not affect the purchase price and the proceeds go towards the growth of Wild Free Organic.