Tucker Max Testosterone e Book

How To Naturally Increase Your Testosterone
[thisisonlytheworkingtitle]
by
Tucker Max
TableofContents
1.Disclaimer
2.ABriefIntro:
1.ThePointOfThisBook
2.WhatWillNotHelpYou
3.Quick,Easy,Simple&FunWork
4.HowToUseThisBook
3.TheThreeCrucialStepsToNaturallyIncreaseYourTestosterone:
1.EatBetter
2.ExerciseBetter
3.SleepBetter
4.TrackingYourProgress:Optional,ButRecommended
5.WhereBeginnersShouldStart:TheMinimumEffectiveDosePlan
6.OneAdvancedPlan:TuckersCurrentPlan
7.AdvancedTestosteroneConcepts
1.MicronutrientTesting
2.VitaminMegadosing
3.IntermittentFasting
4.ColdSubmersion
5.Plastics
6.SexualActivity
7.EmotionAndThought
Appendix:WhyDidILearnSoMuchAboutTestosteroneThatIWroteABookAboutIt?
Bibliography
Disclaimer
ThisisthelegalbullshitIhavetogetoutoftheway.ButI'mputtingitinmyterms,insteadofstupid
legalese,soyoucanactuallyunderstandwhatitsays:
WhyYouMightNotWantToListenToMe(TheDisclaimer):
Imnotadoctor.IdontevenplayadoctoronTV.Ihavenoformalmedicaltraining.Iholdnocertificationsin
anysortofhormonetherapy.WhatyouareabouttoreadisNOTofficiallysanctionedmedicaladvicefrom
anyrecognizedmedicalbody,norshouldyoutakeitthatway.
WhatyouareabouttoreadisacatalogofwhatIvelearnedabouttestosterone,whereIlearnedit,andwhat
Ivefoundthatworkedforme(andafewotherpeople)toincreasetestosteronelevels.Nothingelse.
Ididthreethingstolearnallthisinformation:
1)IconsultedwitheveryoneIcouldfindwhohadexpertiseinthisarea(someofwhomweremedical
professionals,manyofwhomwerenot)
2)IreadeverythingIcouldfindabouttestosteroneandhormones(someofitfromtheestablished
medicalcommunity,somenot)
3)Itestedonmyself(andafewothers)overandoveruntilIfoundthingsthatworkedrepeatedly
Iwasverythoroughinmyresearchandexperimentation.Myfindingsledmetoaseriesofchoices,both
generalandspecific,whichthendevelopedintoaplanthatworked...onme.Itwasaprocess,notapill.That
iswhyIstronglyadviseyouNOTtotakemywordsasgospel,myprocessasmethod,ormyspecificplan
asyourown.
Instead,takewhatIsayasatruthfulandhonestaccountofmyexperience,thenuseitonlyasastarting
pointforyourself.Beskepticalofit.Thinkforyourself.Testmyinformationandprocedures,measurethe
results,seehowitworkswithyourbody,learnfromyourownexperimentsandfromothersourcesyou
research.TreatthisinformationIampresentingyounotasinviolatefact,notasthedictatesofauthorityto
beblindlyfollowed,butasoneperson'sfindings,tobescrutinizedandevaluated.
Infact,youshouldtreatALLinformationfromALLsourcesthiswaybutthatsadifferentdiscussion.
Introduction
A.ThePointOfThisBook
Thepointofthisbookisasimpleone:
Toexplainhowmencaneasily,safelyandnaturallyincreasetheirtestosterone.
That'sit.Thisisashortebook,andthat'stheonlygoalIsetouttoaccomplishwithit.Iwillwalkyou
throughexactlywhattodotosafelyandnaturallyincreaseyourtestosterone,withclear,easy,actionable
instructions.IfyoudoahalfdecentjobfollowingtheMinimumEffectiveDoseplan,youwillseegoodresults.
Usually,reallygoodresults.Ifyougoonestepfurther,andreallyabsorbandpracticeallthethingsI
recommend,you'lleventuallyexperiencegreatresults.Iknow,becauseIhavedoneit,andIdiditwiththe
informationinthisbook.
[NOTE:Ifyou'rewonderingwhyTuckerMaxwroteabookabouttestosterone,goreadtheAppendixsection
onthistopic,itexplainseverything.]
Justsoyou'reawareanddon'tlookforthesethings,herewhatImNOTgoingtodointhisbook:
Imnotgoingtoexplainwhyyoushouldcareaboutincreasingyourtestosterone.Therearegreatreasons
thatexplainthis.Ifyouboughtthisbook,Iassumeyoualreadyknowyourreasons.
Imnotgoingtospendmuchtimeondefendingorexplainingmyrecommendations.Thisbooktellsyou
exactlywhattodo,butverylittletimeexplainingwhy.ButknowthateverythingIrecommendhasnotonly
beenextensivelytestedbymeandotherpeople,allmyadviceisalsofirmlybackedbythelatest,best
empiricalresearch.Ifyouwantmoreexplanationorabetterunderstandingofanytopic,pleasefeelfreeto
readallofmysources.Mostofyouwillneverdofurtherresearchintothesciencebehindallofthese
recommendationsandthatsfinebutthereferencesarethereifyoueverhavetheurgetodivedeeper.
Imnotgoingtosellyouanything.Idon'tevenhaveanythingtosellthat'srelatedtothisbook.Thisisnota
wayformetopeddlesupplementsoradietplanoranewgymoranythinglikethat.Alltheinfoyouneedto
naturallyraiseyourtestosteroneisinthisbook.
Imnotgoingtoinspire,motivateorcoddleyou.I'mnotalifecoach.Imnotyourfather.Imnotgoingtohold
yourdickforyouwhenyoupiss.Eitheryou'lltakemyadviceornot.Theonlywaytogetresultsiswith
actions,andtheactionsareuptoyou.
B.WhatWillNotHelpYouIncreaseYourTestosterone
Firstthebadnews:
Yourhormonescannotbefixedwithpills*,tricks,smallchangesorsupplements.
Ifyouexpectedthatthisguidewouldtellyoutopopafewpills,ordosomeweirdtypeofabcrunch,orjump
inacoldshoweronceaweek,thenyou'llbedisappointed.
Allthethingsyouseeadvertisedandtalkedaboutaspromotingtestosteronefromdeerantlersprayto
androtostingingnettlestoallsortsofweirdpillsorointmentslikethatareusuallycompletefraudsthat
existjusttoscamyououtofyourmoney.
Buteveniftheydoactuallywork(forexample,deerantlersprayhassomedecentempiricalevidencebehind
it),thosesortsofsupplementsonlyincreasetestosteroneaverysmallamount,andeventhen,onlyatthe
margins.Whatthatmeansisthatthesepillsareusefultoaveryselectsetofpeople:professionalorhigh
levelathleteswhoneedeverysingletiny,1%advantagetheycanget.Thatisprobablynotyou.
Whyisthis?Becauseofthewaythatthehumanendocrine(hormone)systemworks.Yourtestosterone,
likeallendocrinesystems,staysindynamicbalance(homeostasis)throughacomplicatedsystemof
hormonalchecksandbalances.Ifyoujusttrytotrickitwiththingslikehormonesupplements,itwillquickly
fightbacktoreducesensitivitytothosesupplements(e.g.bydownregulatingtestosteroneproduction).This
meansyoucantoutsmartyourbody.Theonlysustainablewaytoboosttestosteroneistobuildahealthy
biochemicalfoundationsothatyourbodyfeels,ineffect,that'ssafetospendenergyonboosting
testosteronelevels.
ThismeansthattheONLYsafe,naturalandeffectivewaytoaddresshormoneimbalancesfor99%ofmen
isafocusonthecorefundamentalsofhumanexistence:food,movement,sleep,thought,sex.Fixthose
first,andyourhormoneswillfollow.Especiallytestosterone.
That'sthebadnews.Soundsboringandtediousright?Notsofast.Herecomesthegoodnews.
[*Theexceptiontothis"pillsdon'twork"rulearepeoplewithlegitbiologicalhormonalissuesthatcanonly
beaddressedbytestosteronereplacementtherapy.Soyes,apillcanwork.ExceptthatTRTis
horrendouslydamagingtoahealthymalebody,andshouldbeavoidedifatallpossible,andusedonlyin
thosecaseswherethereisnootherpossibleoption.]
C.Quick,Easy&FunActuallyWork
Ifyou'relookingforaquickfix,that'sperfectlyfine.You'llseesubstantialresultswiththeMinimumEffective
Dose(MED)planinonly3weeks(maybeless).Remember,"quick"isnotthesameas"tricks."Quickif
donerightcanwork.
Andifyou'rekindalazyanddon'twanttodoalot,that'sOKtoo.TheMEDplanisreallyeasytoimplement
and,forthemostpart,reallyenjoyabletoo.
I'mbasicallygoingtotellyoutoeatbacon,sleeplate,liftheavythings,andbehappy(andhavemoresex
too,ifyoucanswingit).Whodoesn'twanttodothat?
Quick,easyandfunfixescanwork.Pillsdon't.
D.HowToUseThisBook
Toseeresults,youdonthavetounderstandeverythinginthisbook.Justlikeyoudon'thavetounderstand
electricalengineeringtouseacomputer,youdon'tneedtounderstandtheneurobiologyofhormonesto
increaseyourtestosterone.
Infact,youdon'treallyevenneedtoreadthebook.Ifallyoucareaboutisimmediateresultsandyoure
willingtojusttakemyrecommendations,thenskiptosection"TheMinimumEffectiveDosePlan,"andstart
ittoday.Youcanreadtherestofthebookatyourleisure,ifyoueverdo.[I'dalsorecommenddoingblood
testingandbasicbaselinemeasurements,whichIcoverfullyin[PartX],butthat'soptional.]
Thatbeingsaid,ifyou'regoingtostartmessingwithyourhormones,it'susuallybettertohaveadecentidea
ofwhatyouaredoing,andwhy.Ifyouwantthat,yougottaread.
Therearethreefundamentalaspectstonaturallyincreasingyourtestosterone:
1.Eating
2.Exercising
3.Sleeping
Inthisbook,Ibrieflyexplainwhyeachareaisimportant.ThenIwalkyouthroughthebasicsofthe
behavioralandbiologicalscienceatthefoundationofeachcategory,andexplaintheir(crucial)relevanceto
testosterone.FromthereIgiveyouasetofproven,testedplanstoimproveeachareathatyoucan
immediatelyimplement.Foreacharea,IoutlinetheMinimumEffectiveDoseplan,whichisagreatplaceto
startandwillbemorethanenoughformostguystoseeincredibleresults.
ButIgobeyondtheMinimumEffectiveDosewithineachcategory,ifyouwantorneedgreaterresult.There
isquiteabitoftinkeringandspecializationyoucandotocraftaplanthatmightworkevenbetter,ifyouso
choose.Thespecificscanvarywidely,andsomethingsonlyworkwithsomepeople.Ifyouwanttogetthat
last20%ofthepossibleresults,youllhavetodosomework,andIexplainhowyoucandothat.
Atthispoint,itsimportanttoforyoutounderstandthattheidealplandoesnotexistwithinthepagesofthis
book.TheidealplanisnottheMinimumEffectiveDoseplan,norisitevenmycurrentplan(whichIputin
thebackaswell).ThatplanisverydifferentfromtheMEDplanandverywellsuitedforme,butwouldntbe
greatforalotofpeople.
Rather,theidealplanisonethatyouhavetestedanditeratedandisspecifictoYOU.Mygoalistomake
youunderstandtherearemanypathstosuccessinthisarea,andthatyoucanusethisbookasastarting
pointandguidetofindtherightoneforyou,ifthat'swhatyouchoosetodo.
AsIalwaystellmyemployees:Perfectistheenemyofgood,andgoodactionsalwaysbeatperfectplans
thathavenoaction.Justworryaboutdoingagoodjobfollowinganyversionoftheplanslaidoutinhere,and
you'llbefine.
EatBetter
WhyFoodMattersToTestosterone
Thefoundationalbuildingblocksoftestosteroneproductionarethestuffyouputinyourbodyi.e.,thefood
youeat.Testosteroneismadeoutofdietarycholesterol(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11207193).
Thestepsyourbodytakestoproducethattestosteronerequireseveralhormonalinteractionsanddifferent
biologicalfeedbackmechanisms,eachofwhichinvolvesdifferentvitaminsornutrients,allofwhichare
acquiredthroughdiet.Ifthisiscomplicatedtoyou,thethingyouneedtounderstandisthis:
Ifyoudon'teatright,nothingelseyoudowillmattertotestosteroneproduction.
Youdon'thavetobeperfect,youjusthavetobegood,andI'mgoingtoshowyouhow.
MostOfWhatYouThinkAboutFoodIs(Probably)Wrong
Unlessyournutritionalknowledgeisfairlycurrent,mostofwhatyouthinkaboutfoodandeatingisprobably
wrong.Iwon'tgettoofarintothistopicastherearewholebooksaboutitthatdoamuchbetterjobof
explainingthecurrentstateofnutritionscience,popularization,andhowwegothere(theyreinthe
Appendix).Thekettakeaway:ahighfiber,lowfatdietisNOThealthy.ThisideaisVERYwrong,especially
formenandtestosterone.
ThePrincipleofProperEating
Ihavetriednearlyeverydietandfoodprogramthereis.Mostdon'twork.Theonesthatdowork,allabideby
onesimpleprinciple:
Eatmostlyunprocessed,natural,freshfoodsthathumansarebiologicallydesignedtoeat.
Hereswhatthatlistincludes:
1)vegetables(mostlygreen)
2)goodstarches(thatmeansthingslikebeansandothervegetablespreparedintheirnaturalstate)
3)aLOTofanimalprotein,animalfat,andotheranimalparts(likeorganssuchasliver)
Hereswhatthatexcludes:
1)nosugar
2)nowheatandgrains(especiallythosewithgluten)
3)nosoy(liketofu)
Theeatingplansthatadheretothetenetsofthisbasicprincipleaccomplishafewkeygoals:
Theycutoutthefoodsthatinhibittestosteroneproduction(likesugar,soy,andgrain)
Theyincreasetheamountofcleanfatyoueat(whichisessentialforbuildingtestosterone)
Theyincreasetheamountofcleanproteinyoueat(whichbuildsmuscle,whichhelpsincrease
testosterone)
Theycutyourbodyfat(excessivebodyfatinhibitstestosteroneproduction)
WhyThisPrincipleWorks
Inthemostbasicterms,thisbasicprincipleworksbecauseitgetsyoutoeatthefoodthatyourbodywas
designedtoeat,whichinturngetsyourbodytoproducetheoptimalamountofhormones.
Thinkaboutitlikethis:Tigersareanimals,evolvedtoliveinacertainbiologicalniche.Theyareevolvedto
eatcertainfoods,andwhentheyeatthose,theyarehealthy.Askanyzookeeper,andshe'lltellyouiffeeda
vegetariandiettoacarnivorousapexpredatorlikeatiger,itliterallydiesfrommalnutrition.
Humansaretheexactsameway.Weareanimalsand,likeallanimals,weevolvedinacertainecological
nicheandareadaptedtoeataspecificsetoffoodscommensuratewithourplaceinthatniche(theonly
differencebetweenusandtigersisthatwehaveamuchbroaderrangeofthingswecaneatandbehealthy,
becauseweareomnivoresandtheyarecarnivores).
Ifweeatindustrial,chemicalladenfoodsthathaveneverexistedinnatureandourbodiescan'tprocess,we
getsick.Ifwemainlyeatthenaturaltypefoodsourbodiesaredesignedtoeat,wearehealthy.Formen,
oneofthemainbenefitsofthisdietarytruismcomesintheformofourtestosteroneproduction.Thereis
nothingmoreimportanttohavinglotsoftestosteronethanfollowingthesedietaryprinciples.
Fat=GoodforTestosterone(andoverallhealth)
Thisisnotaguessorahalfbakedpersonaltheory.Theresearchisveryclear:
Eatingfatiscrucialforhealthytestosteronelevels.
Everythingyouhaveheardaboutfatbeingbadforyouiswrong.Theempiricalresultsareveryclear:goodfat
isverygoodforyouroverallhealth,andmostrelevanttoyou,itisthebuildingblockforcreating
testosterone.Thismeansifyouwantmoretestosterone,youMUSTeatmoreanimalfat(thismeansbacon
too,soyes,thisisgreatnews).
GeneralResearch:Adietinwhichover40%ofcaloriescomefromfat(particularlysaturatedanimalfat)
hasbeenproventogeneratehighertestosteronelevelscomparedtoanequivalentdietwhereonly25%of
caloriesfromfat(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6538617).Onceagain,theresultswerereversed
whendietersswitchedbacktothehighfatdiet.Inanotherstudy,saturatedfat,monosaturatedfat,and
cholesterolintakeswereallstronglycorrelatedwithhigherlevelsofT
(http://jap.physiology.org/content/82/1/49.full).Eatingmeatisnottheonlywaytogetthesegoodfats,
however.
CoconutOil:Ratswhowerefedcoconutoildailyfor60dayshadlowerstresslevelsintheirtestesthan
thosewhoconsumedoliveoil,soybeanoil,grapeseedoil,ornooil,resultinginsignificantlyhigherlevelsof
testosterone(http://www.nutritionjrnl.com/article/S08999007(08)001342/abstract).
Butter:Oneofthemainreasonsthatcoconutoilraisestestosteroneisitshighcontentofsaturatedfat.
Highfatdietswithafocusonsaturatedfatleadto15%higherTestosteronelevelsthanlowfatdietswithan
emphasisonpolyunsaturatedfats(http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/64/6/850.short).Butterisagreatwayto
increaseyourintakeofhealthysaturatedfats.
Sugar,Wheat&Soy=Bad
Theothersideoftheresearchisalsoveryclear:
Processedsugar,grainsandsoydestroyyourabilitytoproducetestosterone(mainlybecausetheyare
poisontohumanbeings).
Withoutgoingintointricatedetail,thisishowthesethingsimpairyourtestosterone:
Sugar:Consumingsugarskyrocketsyourinsulinlevelsanddecreasesyourbodysinsulinsensitivity.This
causesawholehostofhealthproblems,includingobesityanddiabetes(learnmorehere),andisstrongly
correlatedwithlowerlevelsoftestosterone(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15983313).NOTE:
rememberthatmostsugarintheAmericandietcomesthroughothersourceslikesoda,juices,sauces,etc.
Grain:Grainsandotherhighglycemicindexcarbsareimmediatelyconvertedintosugarinyourbody.This
meansthatconsuminggrainscausesallthesameproblemsrelatedtoconsumingsugar,andthensome
(learnmorehere).Andmoretothispoint,ahealthylowfat,highfiberdiethasbeenshowntodecreaseT
levels(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15741266?dopt=Abstract).Glutendestroysproperhormone
balance.Forexample,highgraindietshavebeenshowntoreduceyourbodysabilitytosynthesizeVitamin
D(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6299329?dopt=Abstract)which,aswelldiscusslater,iscrucialto
testosteroneproduction.
Icouldlisttheresearchhereforpagestheresearchontheinteractionbetweenthyroidhormones(crucialto
Tproduction)andgrainaloneisabookitselfsufficeittosayitshardtofindahormoneinthehumanbody
thatgrainorglutendoesn'tscrewup.
Soy:Therelationshipbetweensoyandhormonesisverycomplex,buttheevidenceisclear:consistent
ingestionofsoysubstantiallydecreasestestosteronelevelsinhealthymen.
(http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/16/4/829.abstract).Thegoodnews?Cuttingsoyoutalmost
immediatelyreversestheproblem.
QUICKASIDE:Whataboutheartdisease?
Someofyouarealmostcertainlythinking,Maybeahighfatdietraisestestosterone,butwhatgoodisthat
ifIdieofaheartattack?Theresalotmoretoexplainonthissubjectthanwehaveroomforhere,butthat
ideaistotallywrong.Theconceptthatdietaryfatisariskfactorforheartdiseaseiscalledthe"lipid
hypothesis"ofheartdiseaseandit'snowresoundinglyrejectedbythebestresearchersandscientists.To
beclear:
Theideathatdietaryfat(i.e.,thefatthatyoueat)isacauseofheartdiseaseistotally,completelywrong.
Basically,forthepast50years,wevebeenfedthemessagethatgrainsarehealthyandfatsareevil.
Withoutgoingtoofardowntheconspiratorialpathwiththeagriculturalindustrialcomplex,letmejustsayit
isnotacoincidencethatwhenyoudrivethroughtheheartlandofAmericayourepassingamberwavesof
grain,notamberwavesofbacon.Profitmotivesaside,thisgraincentricmessagewasallbasedonbullshit
researchthatisnowresoundinglydismissed,andit'scontributedtohugepublichealthproblems.Thismight
seemcounterintuitive,butit'sonlybecausepeoplewhodidn'tknowanybetter(themedia)werefedthe
wrongstorybypeoplewhoshouldknowbetter(doctors)butdon'tactuallyknowanythingaboutnutrition
(seriously,doctorsarenottaughtnutritioninmedschool).
[Asasidenote,itactuallyappearsthatgrainsandsugars,intheirinteractionswithfatinthebody,thatare
responsibleforheartdisease.Theempiricalevidenceonthisisstilldeveloping,buttomeatleast,itis
extremelypersuasive.ThedevelopingresearchinthisfieldiscoveredwellinthebookGoodCalories,Bad
Calories,amongothersources.]
Basicresearch:
1)Eatingfatwontmakeyoufat:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12566139
2)Eatingsaturatedfatiscompletelyuncorrelatedwithheartdisease:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009.27725.abstract
3)Eatingcholesterolactuallylowersyourcholesterol:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8857917
Thereareentirebooksaboutthis(seetheAppendix).Ifyouwantagoodbeginnersoverviewofthescience
andwhyconventionalwisdomissomessedupwithouthavingtoread,watchthedocumentaryFatHead
(freeonYouTube).Itskindofsillyandunprofessional,butthefactsarerightanditexplainstheissuereally
simply.
TheThreeDiets
IamgoingtointroduceyoutothethreebestdietsIknowof,bothforoverallhealthandformaximizing
testosteroneinmen.Ihaveusedallthree,theyeachworkverywell,theyareeasytounderstandanduse,
andmostimportantly,allthreeofthemadheretoandincorporatetheprinciplesIlistabove.
ButbeforeIdo:AQuickWordOnDietsandEating
1.Dontthinkofthemasdiets,theyarelifestyles:IdontlikeusingtheworddietbecauseIamnoton
adiet,butIuseitbecauseit'ssocommon.Tomanypeople,theworddietimpliessomethingyouare
doingforaperiodoftimethatinvolvesrestrictingyoufromeverythinggoodthatyoulike.Thisisnotthecase
forme,norshoulditbeforyou.Ieatacertainwaybecauseitshealthy,enjoyable,easyandgivesmethe
physicalresultsthatIwant.This"diet"ismylifestyleit'sthewayIhaveeatenforyears,andwilleatforever.
ThedietsIamabouttosharewithyouarewaystofundamentallychangeyourlife.Theywill(ifyoudothe
work)becomepartofwhoyouareandhowyoucreatetheresultsyouarelookingfortherestofyourlife.
2.Eatingshouldalwaysbeenjoyableandeasy:Youarentgoingtodosomethingyoudontlike,orthat
makesyoumiserable,evenifitgetsyouamazingtestosteroneresults.Eachofthesewaystoeatarevery
enjoyable.Dontlookatthislikeachoreseeitasanopportunitytochangeyourlifeforthebetter,while
youdosomethingthatsalsofun(seriously,I'mgoingtotellyoutoeatmorebacon).Nowdon'tgetme
wrong,someofthechangesmightbehardatfirst.Ifthey'rehardtoyou,thengoslow,doalittleatimeand
makeslowprogress.Whichleadstothenextpoint:
3.PerfectIsTheEnemyAimForGood:Inmanythingsinlife,it'seitherallornothing.Youhittheshot
oryoumissit.Yougetthegirloryoudon't.FOODISNOTLIKETHAT.Youdon'tneedtoeatperfectlyto
seeresults.Evenifyouonlymakesmallchangesforexample,youonlyreduceyoursugarandwheat
intakeby80%,noteliminateityou'llstillseeresults.Goodresults.Ofcoursethemoreyoudo,thebetter
resultsyou'llget,butthepointisthatyoushouldnotseethisasan"allornothing"typedeal.Dothebest
youcan,andyou'llbebetteroffthanyouwere.Andremember:Youcanstartsmallandthenmovebig.I
knowplentyofpeoplewhostartedwithonechange,addedonepermonth,andinayearweredoingallthe
rightthingsandhadamazingresults.
[Ohyeah,asyoureadthis,asyoureadthedietsbelow,justknowthatthisishowtheLALakerseat.As
wellasRayAllen,DerrickRoseandBlakeGriffin,whoeatmostlypaleo,andaTONofotherproathletes(all
linkedintheappendix).Markmywords,inafewyears,somevariationonthedietslistedbelowwillbethe
onlywayanyseriousprofessionalathleteseat,andwillbestandardsocietalknowledge.]
TheMinimumEffectiveDose:
TheSlowCarbDiet
Thisisbyfartheeasiestofthethreediets.Andthisisgoingtosoundcounterintuitive,butformostpeople,
theeasiestoptionisalsoactuallythebestoption.TheSlowCarbDietwillgetyou90%oftheresultsofthe
paleo/primaldiet,and80%oftheresultsofanancestraldietwhichismorethanenoughformost
peoplewithwaylesseffortthaneitherofthosedietsrequire.
That'swhatmakestheSlowCarbDietgreatitisSOEASYtounderstandandfollow,soenjoyableto
actuallyexecute,andtheresultshappensofast,thatcomplianceratesarereallyhigh.
IwasintroducedtotheSlowCarbDietbytheguywhoinventedit,TimFerriss.Thiswaslongbeforehis#1
bestsellerThe4HourBodyintroducedthisdiettotheworld.Heexplainedittomethen,andithasntreally
changedmuchsince.Itsverysimple.Heresthebasicdietplan:
TheSlowCarbDiet:
1)Avoidwhitecarbohydrates(oranycarbohydratethatcanbewhite):Timlikestophrasethisas
"whitecarbs"becauseit'seasierforpeopletoremember,buthe'stellingyouthesamethingIsaidabove.
ThislistisallthethingsImentionedabove,andmore:
nobread
nosugar
norice
nocereal
nopasta
nopotatoes
nosoyproducts
nothingbreaded
nonoodles(thataremadefromriceorflour)
Yes,Iknowthosefoodscanbedelicious.Theyalsomakeyoudisastrouslysick,andimpairyourbodies
abilitytomaketestosterone.Cutthemout.
2)Eatthesamefewmealsoverandover:Mostpeoplearemuchmorelikelytostickwithadietplanifit
doesntinvolvealotofdecisionmaking.Onewaytodothatistoeatsamefewmealsrepeatedly.Illgive
yousomeguidelinesforcreatingthesemealsfurtherdown.Personally,Idon'tthinkthisisthatimportant,
butalotofthepeopleonSlowCarblovethisidea.Itremovesadecisiontheyhavetomake,whichmakes
theirlifeeasier,especiallyatthebeginningwhenpeoplehaveproblemsfiguringoutwhattoeat.
3)Dontdrinkcalories:DonotdrinkANYTHINGthathascalories.Nomilk,fruitjuices,regularsoda,etc.
Youcandrinkmassivequantitiesofwater,andasmuchunsweetenedicedtea,tea,dietdrinks,coffee
(withoutcream),orothernocaloriedrinksasyouwant.
[I'vetalkedtoTimaboutthis,andtheprohibitionagainstdrinkingcaloriesisreallyjustaneasywaytoget
peopletostopdrinkingfruitjuicesandsodas.TheyhaveSOMUCHsugar.]
4)Donteatfruit:Alotofpeoplethinkthatbecausefruithasvitaminsandnutrients,theycaneatasmuch
astheywant.Fruitisalsoloadedwithsugarand,therefore,offlimits.
5)Takeonedayoffperweek:Thisismosteveryone'sfavoritepartofthisdiet:Theoffday.Timsaysto
goabsolutelywild.Eatanythingandeverythingthatyouwant.Thisisusefulbothpsychologically(because
itmakestherestoftheweekeasier)andphysically(becausespikingcaloricintakeincreasesfatlossby
keepingyourmetabolismfromdownregulating).Soifyoufeellikeyouaregoingtomissbreadandpastatoo
much,justsaveitallforonedayaweek,andpigoutthen.Problemsolved.
Iwilltellyouthis:ThefirstfewmonthswhenIwasontheSlowCarb,Iwouldgonutsonoffdays,andfeel
likeshitafterwards,andgainatonofweight(whichadmittedly,allfelloffwithinadayortwo).Irealizedthat
IwaseatingmorethanIevenwantedto,andeatingthingsIdidn'tevenlike,justbecauseitwasanoffday.
SoIaddedapersonalrulethatmyoffdayswerestill"glutenfree."ThiswayIcouldgetlotsofsugaryand
carbytreats,likeicecreamandfrenchfries,butnothavetheawfulwheatimpactonmybodyandmy
hormones.Ifeltlikeitimprovedthedietalot,atleastforme.
WhatCanYouEat?
Alot.ThisisSUCHaneasywaytoeat,Ipromise.Infact,thisisbasicallythewayhumansatefor,oh,
100,000yearsorsobeforetheadventofagriculture.
WhatdoesanaveragemealontheSlowCarbDietlooklike?Theeasiestwaytocreateamealplanisto
mixandmatchtogetheronefoodfromeachofthefollowingcategories:
Proteins:Eggs,chicken,steak,beef,pork,lamb,fish.Prettymuchanyanimalflesh.
Legumes:Lentils,Blackbeans,Pintobeans
Vegetables:Spinach,Asparagus,Peas,Mixedvegetables,Broccoli,Greenbeans,Sauerkraut(orany
pickledorfermentedvegetable).
NOTE:Ifthereisonethingyoureallyneedtopayattentionto,itsthatyouneedtomakesureyouadd
enoughlegumes(orgoodstarcheslikesweetpotatoes)toyourmealstomakeupforthelostgrainsand
sugars.AbigproblempeopleontheSlowCarbDietfaceitbeinghungryalotatfirst,butthat'sbecause
theyaren'teatingenoughfatandlegumestoreplacethecaloricloadofthelostsugarsandgrains.Don'tbe
hungry.Eatenough.
MealFrequency
Iknowyou'veheardallkindsofshitaboutwhenthebesttimestoeatare,andhowmanymealsyoushould
eataday,etc,etc.I'llmakeiteasyforyou:Ignoreitall.Forthemostpart,it'sALLirrelevantbullshit,it
makesthingsmorecomplicatedthantheyneedtobe,anditdistractsfromthemostimportantissue:
WHATyouareeating.
Thisappliestoallthreediets,butI'mputtingithere.Followthissingleruleandyou'llbefine:
Aslongasyou'reonlyeatingtherightthings,andonlyeatingwhenyou'rehungry,thenmealtimingandmeal
frequencydon'tmatteratall.
MoreResources
That'sit.Easy,right?Itreallyis.Iknowitwilltakesomeofyoutimetogetusedtocuttingwheatandsugar
andriceandpotatoesout,butitwillgetyoutheresultsyouwant.
Ifyouneedmoreinformationormoreideas,feelfreetouseanyofthefreeresourcesbelow:
MoreInformation:
Theoriginalpostthatstartedthisdiet
TheFourHourBody(thechapterontheSlowCarbDietisprobablythedefinitivethingonit)
SampleSlowCarbMealPlan
SuccessStories
TheSlowCarbSubreddit
Recipes:
TheSlowCarbCookbook
FourHourBodyRecipes
SlowCarbDietonPinterest
Tools:
CanIEatIt?
WhatElseWorks?:
ThePaleoDiet(alsocalledThePrimalorCavemanDiet)
IstartedPaleoafterbeingontheSlowCarbDietforabout6months.IdidthisnotbecausetheSlowCarb
Dietwasntworking,butbecauseI'maninformationjunkie,andtheamazingresultsIwasseeingonthe
SlowCarbDietmademewanttounderstandhowandwhyitworked,andwhyitseemedthateverythingI
thoughtIknewaboutdietwaswrong.IstudiedtheworkofLorenCordain,RobbWolf,ArtDeVany,Mark
SissonandmanyothersandrealizedthattheSlowCarbDietwasworkingbecauseitwasbasicallya
simplifiedversionofthePaleoDiet,soIstarteddoingthemoreadvanceddiet.
HerearethebasicsofthePaleoDiet,accordingtoRobbWolf(fullarticlehere):
Insimpletermsthepaleodietisbuiltfrommodernfoodsthat(tothebestofourability)emulatethefoods
availabletoourpreagriculturalancestors:Meat,fish,fowl,vegetables,fruits,roots,tubersandnuts.Onthe
flipsideweseeanomissionofgrains,legumesanddairy.Asthisisdirectedtofolksnewtothepaleodiet
ideaweneedtoaddresstheWhatAbouts.Thisistheseeminglyendlesslistofingredientsthatfolksask:
Whataboutartificialsweeteners,agavenectar,redwineInsimpleterms,ifitsnotmeat,fish,fowl,
vegetables,fruits,roots,tubersornutsitsanogo.
NoticethatthisisjustaslightlymorecomplexversionoftheSlowCarbDiet(or,really,theSlowCarbDiet
isaslightlysimplerversionofthePaleodiet).Themaindifference:Paleoisn'tbigonlegumes,butitdoes
allowfruitsandtubers(potatoes)inmoderation.
Now,noticethosewords:inmoderation.Thosedidntexistinthelastsection.ThisisbecausethePaleo
dietisslightlymorenuancedthantheSlowCarbDiet.Itisntallblackandwhite.Theressomethinking
involved.SlowCarbisdesignedtoeliminateanycomplexdecisions(whichiswhatmakesitsoeasy),Paleo
putssomeofthosebackin.
WhatdoesanaveragemealonthePaleoDietlooklike?Honestly,prettysimilartotheSlowCarbDiet,with
thelimitlesslegumesbeingreplacedbymorevegetables,aswellasoccasionalfruitandstarchy
vegetables.
Proteins:Eggs,Chickenbreastorthigh,Grassfedbeef,Pork,Lamb,Venison
StarchyVegetables:Sweetpotatoes,yams,squash
Fruits:Apples,Bananas,Berries
Vegetables:Spinach,Asparagus,Peas,Mixedvegetables,Carrots,Broccoli,Greenbeans,Sauerkraut(or
anypickledorfermentedvegetable)
MoreInformation:
RobbWolfsWhatisthePaleoDiet?
MarkSissonsDefinitiveGuidetoPrimalEating
ThePaleoSubreddit
Recipes:
PaleOMG
NomNomPaleo
PrimalCravingsCookbook
TheAncestralHealthDiet
IcametotheAncestralHealthDietafterabout23yearsbeingPaleo.Thisevolutioncamefromtestingthe
PaleoDietonmyself,realizingitslimitations,thenreadingmoreandmoreaboutfoodandevolutionand
biologyandstartingtoputallthepiecestogether.Forexample,Icanprocessdairyeasily,andIthinksome
ofthethingsthepaleopeoplefocusonarewrong.Butrealizethatallofthesethingsarejustdiscussionson
themargins.Noneofthefundamentalsreallychange.
MyshifttotheAncestralDietwasnotaresultoflookingtoimprovemytestosteronescores.Iwasalready
feelinggreat,andthoughmytestosteronewentuponthisdiet,itwasntbymuch.Formostofyou,ifthe
onlygoalistestosterone,dontworryaboutgoingthisfar.Thisismuchmoreaboutgoingfromgoodhealth
tooptimalhealth.IwentAncestralasIbegantofocusonotherthingsinmyhealth,likelongevity,
appearance,recovery,andjointmobility(formixedmartialarts).
Remember:theAncestralDietisntaset,defined,neverchangingdiet.Itsasetofprinciples,andchanges
atthemarginsalongwiththeleadingedgescience,soitsconstantlyevolving.Mypersonaldietandmeal
examplesareoutlinedlaterinthisbook,butthebasicpremisesareasfollows:
Eat:
AllthemeatandvegetablesemphasizedinthePaleodiet
Organmeats(likeliver,kidney,heart)
Bonebroth
Fermented,probioticrichfoods(likeyogurtandsauerkraut)
Fullfatproducts(likebutter,eggs,cheese,andwholemilk)
Avoid:
Carbs(keepthemunder100gperday)
Vegetableoils(likeCanola,Corn,Cottonseed,Soy,Sunflower,Safflower)
Lowfatproducts
OtherNotes:
Eatvegetableswithfat,saltandacid(tooptimizeyourbodysabilitytoabsorbitsnutrients)
Dairyisgreat,aslongasitseithergrassfedrawdairy,fermented,orboth
Legumesworkgreattoo,aslongastheyareproperlysoakedandcooked
Certainstarchycarbslikepotatoes,canbegoodforyou(eitherafterreallyintenseworkouts,oras
prebioticstohelpwithgutbiomeissues)
SpecialattentionshouldbepaidtoWHEREyourfoodcamefrom,andalsowithmeat,whatyourfoodate
whenitwasalive.Themorenaturalthesource,thebetter.Thisstuffcangetverycomplicated,butit'spretty
simple:Youwantyourmeattoeatwhatitmeanttoeatcowseatgrass,chickenseatbugsandgrubs,etc.
Mostanimalsarefedgrain,whichmakesthemjustassickashumanswhentheyeatgrain.
Youllnoticealotofoverlapbetweenallthreeofthesediets.ThebiggestdifferencesarethatwhiletheSlow
CarbandPaleodietsfocusonwhatNOTtoeat,theAncestralDietalsofocusesonfoodsyouSHOULDbe
eatingbutprobablyarent.Thus,theemphasisonorganmeats,fermentedfoods,andbonebroths.Now,
youcanabsolutelyeataSlowCarbDietandemphasizethesethings,soapplyingAncestralprinciplesto
thatdietiseasyandadvisable.
TheotherdifferenceisthatintheAncestralDiet,youpayaLOTofattentiontowhereyourfoodcamefrom
andhowit'smade.InevermentionedorganicsoranythinglikethatwiththeSlowCarborPaleo/Primaldiets
notbecausethatstuffdoesntmatter(itdoes...alot),itjustmattersfarlessthanthebiggerprinciplesof
beinggrain,sugarandsoyfree.Onestepatatime.Iwon'tgointothevariouscomplicationsthatcanarise
fromsourcingfood,butIspendquiteabitoftimethinkingaboutwheremymeatcomesfrom,whatitate,
howitwasprocessedbeforeitgottome,etc,etc.
NOTE:Please,doNOTstartwiththeAncestralDiet.Itisfartoocomplicated,you'llgetoverwhelmedand
quit.StartwithSlowCarb,itisreallyeasytounderstandandeffectuate.ThenmovetoPaleoand,ifyouare
reallyinterested,readmoreabouttheAncestralDiet,anddothat.Onlywhenyourecomfortablewiththe
conceptsshouldyoustartincorporatingthoseprinciplesintoyourprimarywayofeating,andevolveintothat
diet.Startwiththeseresources:
MoreInformation:
DeepNutritionandFoodRulesbyCatherineShanahan
CatherineShanahansBlog
TheWestonA.PriceDietaryGuidelines
Recipes:
SomeofthebestplacesforAncestralrecipesarethecookbooksyourGrandmothermighthaveused...
TheProfessionalChefbytheCulinaryInstituteofAmerica
LeCordonBleuatHomebyLeCordonBleu
TheJoyofCookingbyIrmaRombauer(onlybuyeditionspublishedbefore1960)
MasteringtheArtofFrenchCookingVolumeIandVolumeIIbyJuliaChild(buythefirstedition,thenew
reprintingssubstitutehealthyfatswithvegetableoils)
ANoteOnOrganic/GrassfedFood
Alotofpeopleaskmeaboutthis:"Howimportantisorganic/grassfed/local/heritaagebreed/pasture
raised/etc?"
Theanswerisnotasimpleone,foranyofthesecategories.IusetheAncestralDiet(mypersonaleating
habitsarecoveredlater),andIfindthatpayingattentiontothesourceandqualityofthefoodIeatisvery
importanttome.ButI'veseenpeopleontheSlowCarbDietthatdon'tevenknowwhatorganicis,andthey
dogreataswell.Here'sprobablytheeasiestwaytothinkaboutit:
Atthebeginning,don'tworryaboutit.It'shardenoughtomakethesechanges,don'tmakeitover
complicatedforyourself.StartwiththeSlowCarborPaleoDiet,andseewhatresultsyouget.Ifyouget
greatresultsandyou'rehappy,thendon'tsweatit.
Ifyouaren'tgettinggoodenoughresults,orifyoufeellikeyoureallywanttodiveintothespecificsandlearn
moreandgettheverybestresultspossible,thenstartpayingattentiontothesourceandqualityofyour
food.Organicdoesmatterwithsomethings(likeleafyvegetables),andgrassfeddoesmatterwithsome
things(likelambandbeef),andsourcingyourfoodcanbevery,verybeneficialforyourhealth.Butthese
thingsaren'tthemostimportantthingsineating,sogettothemlater,andthen,onlyifyouwantto.
Alcohol:
Eachofthesedietssaysdifferentthingsaboutalcohol.IlltellyouwhatIthink:
Ifyouenjoyalcohol,especiallyinmoderation,thenyoushoulddrink.Thekeyistodrinkthethingsthatare
bestforyou,andavoidthethingsthatarebad.
DrinkInModeration:StudiesshowthatchronicalcoholconsumptiondamagestheLeydigcellsinthe
testes,decreasingtestosteroneproductioninthelongterm(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6966217).
Anyalcoholconsumptiondecreasestestosteroneintheshortterm
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/894528).However,thereisnoevidencethatmoderatealcohol
consumptionhurtstestosteronelevelsinthelongterm.
WhichOnesToDrink:
TheBest:RedWine.Asfarasalcoholgoes,redwineisyourbestbet.Itcontainsasubstancecalled
resveratrolwhichactuallybooststestosterone(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18277612),decreases
theriskofheartdiseaseandcancer,aswellasreducessignsofaging.
TheOkay:WhiteWine,Champagne,&UnflavoredDistilledSpiritslikeVodka,Gin,Tequila,and
Rum.Thesedrinksprovideallthenegativesofalcohol,butatleasttheydontdoanyfurtherdamage.
TheWorst:Beer.Asubstancecalled8PNinthehopsinbeerboostsestrogen,whichdecreases
testosterone(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11134162).Beerisalsomadefromgrain(wheator
barley)andisthereforepackedwithcarbs,soitincludesallthenegativesthatcomealongwitheating
grainsandsugar.Avoiditifyoucanhelpitatall.IfyouMUSTdrinksomethingoutofabottle,drinkhard
cider.Ithasnograininit,thoughitisprettysugary.You'rebetteroffwithwine.
Eatingsubsection:Supplements
ThisistheMOSTimportantthingyoucanknowaboutsupplements:
SupplementsareNOTasubstituteforrealfood,andsupplementsalonearenotthesolutiontotestosterone
issues.
Supplementsshouldonlybeusedasawaytofortifyand,well,supplementyourdietwithspecificnutrients
that,forwhateverreason,youarehavingtroublegettinginyournormal,dailyeatingprocess.Ifyoucanget
allyournutrientsfromyourfood,thendoit.Someofthecommonproblemswithsupplements:
1.Realfoodis(almost)alwaysbetter:Supplementsarealmostneverasgoodaslegitimatefoodsourcesin
gettingbioavailablenutrientsintothehumansystem.Therearemanyreasonsforthisandmuchresearchto
supportthisfact,buttherealityis,westillhaveaverypoorunderstandingofnutrients,hormones,andthe
physicalandgeneticrelationshipsbetweenfoodandhealth.Asaresult,ANYsupplementadvicemustbe
consideredtenuousatbest.
2.Behavioralchanges:Alotoftimeswhenpeoplefocusonsupplements,itsawayofbuyingthemselves
thefeelingthattheyredoingsomething,withoutactuallyhavingtodothework.Ortheythinktheycaneat
crappybecausetheyretakingvitaminsandsupplements.Andfartoomanypeoplethinkoneortwosmall
changeswithsupplementswillgetthemtheresultstheyarelookingfor.Itdoesntworklikethat.Knowthis:
Thesolutiontoyourproblemsanyproblemsisnotcomingfromapill.
3.Littleregulation:Somesupplementcompaniesarefantasticallyrunandhaveamazingproducts.Other
companiesareterrible,anditsoftenhardtotellwhoiswho.Dontevengetmestartedonallthecharlatans
outtherewhoarepitchingandsellingallsortsofscammybullshit.Yes,foodhasissueswithqualitytoo,
butitsmucheasiertotelliffoodisgoodthanifsupplementsare(thisisabigproblem(bothpoliticallyand
healthwise)andtoodeeptogetintohere.Ifyouwanttopeekdowntherabbithole,startwiththisessay).
4.Takingthewrongonesorforms:Therearesomanydifferentsupplementsoutthere,withsolittlereliable
informationonwhatworksandwhatdoesnt,itshardtoevenknowwhatyoushouldorshouldnottake.
Therearemanyvitaminsthatexistinmultipleforms,andonlysomearebioavailabletohumans.Andthis
doesntevengettotheissueofknowinghowmuchyouneed.
WhichSupplementsDoYouNeed?
Allthatbeingsaid,therearesomebroadpatternsthatalmostallmenneed,especiallythosewhoare
Testosteronedeficient.Ifyoufeellikeyoumustsupplement,startbelow.Ifyoustillwantmoreresults,then
movetomicronutrienttestingandspecificsupplements(coveredintheAdvancedTopicssection)
SupplementsFor(Almost)Everyone:
1.FishOil:Thevastmajorityofpeoplehaveanomega3/omega6imbalancefromeatingtoomanycarbs
andfromeatinganimalsthatwerefedonlycarbs,likecorn.Whydoesthismatter?Nothavingtheright
O3/O6balanceleadstoinflammationandcausesissueswithseveralhormones.Also,havingtheproper
amountsoffats,especiallythefatsinfishoil,canhelpwithtestosterone.Fishoilsupplementsarethebest
andeasiestwaytogetyouromega3s.
Research:Adiethighinomega3sdecreasesSHBG(whichturnsfreetestosteroneintouseless
testosterone)(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11525593),andalsoincreasesLuteinizingHormone,
whichtriggerstestosteroneproduction(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2352035).
FoodSourcesofOmega3s:Omega3sarefats,andarethusfoundinhealthy,fattyfoodslikesalmon,flax
seeds,walnuts,sardines,grassfedbeef,andhalibut.Thisisonesupplementwhereyoushouldusethepill,
evenifyoueatalotoffish(mainlybecausethepillisprettyclosetorealfood).
Supplements(nottheonlyones,justtheonesIhaveusedandlike):
NaturesBountyFishOil
CarlsonLabsVeryFinestFishOil
GreenPasturesRoyalButterOil/FermentedCodLiverOilBlend
VitalChoiceWildSalmonOil
IfyouwantamoredetailedguidetobuyingFishOilsupplements,readthis.
MyRecommendation:Take35gramsperdayofanyofthefishoilcapsulesIlistshouldbeenough.
2.VitaminD:TherangesforVitaminDonmostbloodtestsarenotright,Ithink.Onmostbloodtests,it
beginsthevitaminDrangeat30ng/dl.Foramanwithtestosteroneissues,yourminimumneedstobe
about55ng/dl.Itrytobeinthe60sor70stobesafe.Thiscanleadtosomeincrediblemegadosing.The
FDArecommendeddailyallowanceis600IUs.Itakebetween4000and12000IUsaday.NOTE:Be
careful,youcanoverdosewithVitaminD.100ng/dlisgettingintotheoverdoserange.
Research:Supplementingdailywith3,332IUsofVitaminDhasbeenshowntosignificantlyincreasetotal
testosterone,bioactivetestosteroneandfreetestosterone(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21154195).
OthersourcesofVitaminD:Actually,sunlightisbest.Ifyoucanspend23hoursadayinthesunlight,
you'llbegoodonD.Ifnot,therearealsosmallamountsinportabellamushroomsandsomefattyfishlike
salmon,catfish,mackerel,sardines,tunaandeel,butforthemostpart,foodsourceswon'tcoveryouon
this.
Carlson,4000IUdrops
NaturesBountyHighPotencySoftgels
TraderJoesVitaminDSoftgels
MyRecommendation:Take2dropsoftheCarlson4000IUdropsperday,inthemorning(NOTE:DoNOTdo
thisifyouaregetting3hoursormoreofdirectsunlighteveryday).
3.BranchedChainAminoAcids(BCAAs):Itshardtogetenoughprotein,soIusuallyrecommendthat
guyswhoaredoingheavyliftingalsosupplementwithBCAAs.Furthermore,it'snotjustaboutprotein,
BCAA'saretheonlyaminoacidsthatourbodycan'tmakeitself.Withoutgettingtoofarintothescience,
theyareimportant,andproduceexcellentanaboliceffectsiftakenbeforeyourworkoutespecially.
Research:AthleteswhoconsumedBCAAsdisplayedsignificantlyhighertestosteronelevels,aswellas
lowercortisollevels(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20300014).Aswelldiscussinthechapteron
stress,highcortisollevelsarenotonlybadfortestosteroneproduction,theycauseatonofotherproblems
too.
BeverlyNutritionGlutamine+BCAAs
BSNAminoX
MyRecommendation:Take510gramsofBCAA'srightbeforeaworkout.
SupplementsThatDon'tWork:
Prettymucheverythingelse.Ifyouhaveadeficiencyinacertainvitaminormineralthatisimportantto
testosteroneproduction,supplementingcanhelp.Butalltherestofthesupposedtestosteroneboosting
herbsandpotionsarenoteffective.
Whatdoesntwork?
Stingingnettles(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16635963)
Tribulus(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874105003314)
Naltrexone(whichonlysuccessfullyboostsTinheroinaddicts)
...andalltheotherTestosteroneBoosterswithsleazysoundingnames,shouldbeavoided,too.Likeso
muchofthesupplementationindustry,theyreinconsistentandriddledwithsideeffectsbecausetheyre
tryingtoaccomplishunnaturallywhatshouldbeachievedthroughdiet,exercise,sleep,and
stressmanagement.
ToSumUp
Therewasalotofinformationinthissection.Allofitwasimportantandusefulforincreasingtestosterone
levelsaswellaslivingahealthierlife.Butifyouwalkawayfromthissectionwithjustthesefourthings
plantedinyourmemory,Illbehappy:
1)Eatmostlyunprocessed,natural,freshfoodsthatourbodiesareevolvedtoeat
2)Avoid:
sugar
wheatandgrain
soy
3)StartwiththeSlowCarbDiet
4)Supplementwithfishoil,VitaminDandBCAAs
ExerciseProperly
IhopeIdonthavetoexplainwhyexerciseissoimportantfortestosterone.Ifyoudontalreadygetthat,this
studyexplainsthingswell.
Heresthesingle,fundamentaltruthaboutexerciseandtestosterone:youneedtobeSTRONG.
Imnottalkingaboutbodybuilder,beachmusclebullshitorbeing"inshapeneitherdomuchforyou.WhatI
meanisreal,actualfunctionalstrength.Canyoupickupheavythings,andputthemaboveyourhead?Can
youmovesomethinglargefromastillposition?Thatsortofstrength.
Whydoesstrengthmattertotestosterone?Becausetestosteroneisnotonlyaveryimportanthormoneto
men,butitsalsothecanaryinthecoalmineofyouroverallhealth.Andthereisliterallynothingbettera
mancandoforbothhishormonalandoverallhealththantobephysicallystrong.
Now,thisisatadofftopicforthefocusedsubjectofthisebook,butconsiderthis:Tworecentstudiesbythe
BritishMedicalJournalshowthatmuscularstrengthisinverselyassociatedwithdeathfromallcauses
andcancerinmen,evenafteradjustingforcardiorespiratoryfitnessandotherpotentialconfounders
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2453303/),andthatphysicalcapabilityisstronglycorrelated
withlongevity(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2938886/).Ifyouwanttolearnmore,readthis
articlebyMarkSisson,butI'llmakeitsimpleforyou:
Strength=life
Getstrongandincreasedtestosteronewillfollow.Getit?Asanaddedbenefit,you'reprobablylivelonger
too.
TheFourBasicPrinciplesofanyEffectiveStrengthWorkout
Therearesomanygreatworkoutprogramsthatwillgetyoufantasticstrengthresults,itsimpossibleforme
tocoverevenasmallfractionofthem.WhatIwilldoinsteadisgiveyouthemostimportantprinciplesfor
anyprogramyouchoose,thengoovertheprogramsthatIvetested,knowwork,andenjoydoing.
1)GOHEAVY:moveheavyloads,notlightweights
2)GOFAST:ifyoucantheavyloads,movewithveryhighintensity(ifyoucandoboth,evenbetter)
3)COMPOUNDMOVEMENTS:allexercisesshouldbenatural,compoundmovements.Compoundmeans
morethanonejointmovingatonce,notisolationmovements.Soinsteadofdoinglegpresses,whichisolate
afewmusclesinyourlegs,youshoulddobarbellsquats,whichrecruithundredsofmusclesalloveryour
body.
4)NOCARDIO:itsnotonlyawasteoftimeforyourhealth,itscounterproductivetotestosterone
production.[MenwhoconsistentlyrunlongdistanceshavelowerlongtermTestosteronelevelsthaneven
thenonathleticcontrolgroup(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1724199/).]
FourEasy,EffectiveStrengthPrograms:
IamgoingtolistfourprogramsIknowwork,thatarealsoeasyandenjoyable.Idividetheseupintothree
basiccategoriesbasedonaccesstoequipment,andgiveyoutherelevantinformationcost,time
commitment,andMinimumEffectiveDose(MED)topickthebestworkoutforyou.
Andnote,becauseANYofthesewillwork,IamonlygoingtogoovertheMEDforeachtype.Ifyoustart
oneandloveitandwanttoknowmoreabouttherefinementsorextensionsofanyoftheseapproaches,just
readthereferencenotes,Ipointyouinthedirectiontolearnmore,allfromtheexpertswhotaughtme.
Theseshouldbestartingpoints,nottheoneprogramyouusetherestofyourlife.
1.Littletimeand/orNogymaccess
Bodyweightexercises
Cost:Free
Timecommitment:34xaweek,1520minsperworkout
MinimumEffectiveDose:Ifyouredoingthisworkoutexclusively,Iassumeitmeansyouliterallycantafford
tobuyanyequipmentoragymmembership,oryoudonthaveaccesstoanythinglikethatwhereyoulive.
Noproblem.Justdothis,3or4x/week:
Exercises
Sprints10setsx50yards(aboutthelengthofabasketballcourt,down&back)
Pushups10setsx10
HowToSprintProperly:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ2tF4odBY
HowToDoAProperPushup:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3Avd073_d0
RoutineNotes
Alternatethesprintsandpushups.Thatmeansyourun50yards,knockout10pushups,run50more
yards,etc,untilyouaredone.Therestbetweensetsshouldonlybeasmuchasyouabsolutelyneedtodo
thenextset,andnomore:1015seconds,30max.
Heresthekeytothisworkout:INTENSITY.Youcantfuckingjog.YouhavetodoafullonSPRINT.That
meansyourunasfastasyoupossiblycan.Likeyourebeingchasedbyarabiddog.Absolutespeedis
irrelevant.Idontcarehowfastyourun,IonlycarethatyourunasfastasyoucanEVERYSINGLETIME.
Youalsocantresttoomuch.Thelongertimeyourestbetweensets,thelesseffectiveitis.Itdoesnt
matterhowfastyoufinish,itmattersthatyouregoingasfastasyoucantheENTIREtime,withboththe
sprintsandpushups.Ifyouregaspingforairbetweensets,great,thatmeansyouredoingitright.Ideally,
youshouldfinisheveryworkoutcompletelyexhausted,bothbecauseofthevolumeofworkandintensity.
Itshouldnevertakeyoulessthan10minutestodothis.Ifitdoes,increasethesprintdistancesand
pushupreps.And,itshouldnevertakeyoumorethan25minutestodothisworkout.Ifitdoes,shortenthe
sprintdistancesandpushupreps.Fullintensityfor1025minutes,thatsit,youredone.
Asyougetstronger,youshouldincreasethedistancesofthesprints,and/orthepushupreps,orthe
numberofsets.Anadvancedversionofthisworkoutis20setsof100yardsprints,and20setsof20
pushups.Dothatinunder20minutes,andyou'reareallygoodathlete.
NOTE:Aboveandbeyondthehealthbenefitsthatwillincreaseyourtestosterone,alloutsprintingforshort
periodsoftimehasbeenshowntoimmediatelyincreaseyourshorttermtestosteronelevels
(https://www.thiemeconnect.com/DOI/DOI10.1055/s00301248243).
LearnMore:Ifyoulovebodyweightexercises,butwanttoaddvariation,thereareaTONofwaystodothat.
Justrememberthatintensityisthekey.
FurtherReading:
AlKavadlo:Agoodintroductiontotheconceptofprogressivecalisthenicsandthefunctionalbasics.
ConvictConditioning:PaulWadespentovertwodecadesintheCaliforniaprisonsystemmastering
exercisestoprovidehismuscleswithprogressiveloadswithoutusingweights.
OtherResources:TheNakedWarrior,PushingYourselftoPower
Kettlebells
Cost:~$50
Timecommitment:3x/week,515minsperworkout
MinimumEffectiveDose:Kettlebellsareincrediblyversatileandeffectiveworkoutequipment.Youonlyneed
about5squarefeettouseit,andpossiblythebestpartisthatyouonlyneedtobuyonething,soits
cheap.Averygoodkettlebellcostsaboutthesameasonemonthattheaveragegym.
Thereareanalmostinfinitenumberofkettlebellexercises,butreally,youonlyneedtodoonethingtoget
greatresults.Iknowitsoundstoogoodtobetrue,butitis:Thetwoarmedkettlebellswing.Thatsit.Im
serious,thisisthewholefuckingexerciseroutine:
Exercises
Twoarmedkettlebellswing,100repstocompletion
HowToSwingaKettlebellProperly:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zAkYWo_4tsor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUpSFguwRQM
RoutineNotes
Imsureyouwontbeabletodo100swingsinarow,especiallywhenyoufirststart(ifyoucan,theweight
istoolight),sobreakitupanywayyouwant.Thepointistogetthemdoneasfastaspossiblewithcorrect
form.4setsx25swings,10x10,even20x5theyareallvalid,aslongasyoutakeonlytheminimum
amountofrestyouneedbetweensets.Again,intensityiskeyhere.
PickingYourWeight:Mostmenshouldstartwithintherangeof30to35pounds.Iwouldntgoanylowerin
weightunlessyouarereallysmallorhaveverylittlemuscle.Butmakesureyoutryoutdifferentweights
beforeyoubuyone.Basically,youshouldpickaweightthatyoucandoatleast10,butnomorethan25
perfectswingswithwhenyoufirststartout.Thisletsyougrowintoyourkettlebell.Iemphasize:makesure
youtestitbeforeyoubuyitthough.NewbiesALWAYSoverestimatetheirabilitytouseakettlebell.
Togiveyouacomparisonpoint,Iusea24kg(53lb)kettlebellformostextendedrepswingroutinesIdoand
canget100(orclose)inarowonthat,butgouptoa32kg(70lb)kettlebellforlowerrepwork,andcan
probablyonlydoabout4050inarowonthat.
Note:Thiscan(andideallyshould)becombinedwiththebodyweightexercisesaboveveryeasily.Just
workout34x/weekandrotatethetwoexercises.Forexample,Mondayissprintsandpushups,
Wednesdayiskettlebells,Fridayissprintsandpushups,Saturdayiskettlebells.Tuesday,Thursdayand
Sundayarerestdays.Thatsonlyabout70minutesaweekTOTALandtheresultsforyourtestosterone
(andbody)willbestunning.
LearnMore:Thekettlebellisanamazingworkouttoolthatsreallyunderusedbymostroutines.Ifyoulike
thekettlebellandwanttoaddvariationorlearnaboutdifferentkettlebellexercises,readbelow.
FurtherReading:
MikeMahler:Agoodoverviewofhowtouseakettlebelltotargeteverypartofyourbodyandbuildanentire
strengthroutinearoundit.
EntertheKettlebell:PavelTsatsoulinewasaRussianspecialforcesphysicaltrainerwhopopularizedthe
RussiankettlebellintheWest.
GregBrookes:Afree,beginnerskettlebellroutinetohelpyoutransitionintomorecomplexkettlebell
training.
2.Conventionalgym,normalequipment(e.g.GoldsGym,etc)
BasicStrengthTraining
Cost:~$50amonth(forgymmembership)
MinimumEffectiveDose:Onceyougetintoagym,therearesomanyprogramsyoucandothatarevery
effective,itshardtosingleoutany.I'mnottellingyouthattheprogramIpickedbelowisthebestpossible
program.WhatImtellingyouisthatitisaverygoodprogramthatworksverywell.IknowbecauseIhave
usedthisexactprogramatpointsinmylife,anditmademeverystrong.
Exercises
Day1:
5minwarmup(jumprope,exercisebike,sprints,etc)
Squat,5setsx46reps
OverheadPress(barbellispreferable,butdumbbellsareokay)press,5setsx46reps
BentOverRow(barbellispreferable,butdumbbellsareokay),5setsx46reps
Day2:
5minwarmup(jumprope,exercisebike,sprints,etc)
Deadlift,5setsx46reps
BenchPress,5setsx46reps
Pullups,5setsxAMAP(asmanyaspossible)
HowToSquatProperly:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy28eq2PjcMor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLwiGkywKN4
HowToOverheadPressProperly:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3QY5vMz_6Ior
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWeRuB9uWNE
HowToBentOverRowProperly:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCg1YxMt3oYor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boxbOSGwD4U
HowToDeadliftProperly:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qRntuXBScor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0bYgp8uR8
HowToBenchPressProperly:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRVjAtPip0Yor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33mjoyc5JbE
HowToDoPullupsProperly:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQa7iV9sE_wor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ig8DQXLeD0
RoutineNotes
Thisseemssimple,anditis.Butthere'salittlemoresubtletyherethanyourealize.
Heresthekeytothisworkout:FORM.Youneedtopayalotofattentiontoyourform,especiallyonthe
squatanddeadlift.Theybothlooklikeverysimpleexercises,andinsomewaystheyare,butifyoudothem
wrong,theyaremuchlesseffective.AndifyouuseheavyweightsanddothemWAYwrong,youcanget
hurt.Dontdothemwrong.Ifyoucantgethelpfromanyone,thenfilmyourselfwithyoursmartphone,and
compareittothevideosyouseehere.
Aswithallexerciseroutines,makesureyouwarmupfirst.Fiveminutesontheexercisebikeisfine.And
thendoaverylightsetoneortwotimeswitheachexercisebeforeyoustarttheheavyloads.Sofor
example,ifmyworkingweightonthebenchpressisinthe225lbsrange,I'lldo135lbslike10times,then
185lbsmaybe8times,beforeIput225onandstartdoing5setsof5reps(forexample).
Therepsaresetat46forverygood,veryimportantneurologicalreasons.Iwontgettoodeepintoithere,
butbasicallythisisthereprangetooptimizestrength(ifyou'relookingforbig,puffy,bodybuildermuscles,
810isthereprangeyouwant).Allsetsshouldbewithaweightyoucandoatleast4times,butnotmore
than6.Ifyoucandomorethan6reps,addweight.Ifyoucantdo4reps,takeweightoff.Thisforcesyouto
constantlygetstronger,withoutbeingtooheavyordangerousorrequireyoutogetconstanthelpfroma
spotter.
Definitelygiveyourselfrestbetweensets,butnotmorethan90seconds.Iwouldusuallytakethefull90
secondsbetweensets,becauseifyou'reliftingheavy,you'llneedtherest.
Thisprogramdoesrequireyoutokeeptrackofyourweightsalittlebit.Youdonthavetogocrazywith
trackingappsoranythinglikethat.Useanotepadifyouneedit.Justrememberwhereyourweightwaslast
timeyoudidthatexercise,andstartthere.
NOTE:Ifyouareyoungandsuperenergetic,2xaweekwiththisprogrammaynotbeenoughofaworkload
foryou.Ifthat'sthecase,go3ormaybeeven4xaweek.Or,combinethisworkoutwiththesprint/pushup
workout,anddothistwiceandthattwiceaweek.
Ifyouseeresultsandyouwanttolearnmore,thereareatonofplacesyoucangofromthisbasicprogram
tosomethingmoreadvancedthatwillproduceevenbetterresults.Hereareafewplacestogetstarted:
FurtherReading:
StartingStrength:Thisisthebiblewhenitcomestounderstandingyourmusclesandhowtostrengthtrain
effectively.
StrongLifts5x5Program:Oneofthemostsuccessfulstrengthbasedliftingprogramsonthemarket.
PavelTsFoundationsofStrength:Abeginnersprogramaimedatlayingthefoundationsforproper
strengthtrainingusingkettlebells,barbells,dumbbells,andsandbags.
3.SpecialtyGyms,TrainingIncluded
Crossfit(orsimilarHighIntensityIntervalTraining[HIIT]programs)
Cost:~$120month(varieswidelydependingonlocation)
MinimumEffectiveDose:Crossfitisbasicallyjustthenameforaspecificexerciseprogramthat
incorporatesallthebestpracticesofHIITandfunctionalstrengthtraining.
Exercises
ThereisnooneCrossfitworkout.Thepointisthateveryworkoutisdifferent.Ideallywiththeexceptionof
thebenchmarkworkoutsIshowyoubelowyou'llneverdotheexactsameworkouttwice.Herearesome
famouscrossfitbenchmarkworkouts:
Fran
21/15/9fortime
Barbellthrusters
Pullups
WhatthismeansinEnglish:Complete21thrustersfollowedby21pullups,15thrustersfollowedby15
pullups,and9thrustersfollowedby9pullups.[Ifyoudontknowwhatbarbellthrustersare,heresavideo.]
Agoodtimeis5minutes.Therecordis1:53(Ithink,thatspecifictimemaybeindispute,therecordis
closetothatthough).Forreference,mypersonalrecordis3:52.
Cindy
20minutes,AMRAP
5pullups
10pushups
15squats
WhatthismeansinEnglish:In20minutes,youhavetocompleteasmanyrepsaspossibleof5pullups,
10pushups,and15airsquats,eachfullcircuitcountingas1rep.
Agoodscoreis20reps.Therecordis38.Forreference,mybestscoreis28.
Helen
3roundsfortime
400msprint
21kettlebellswings(24kg)
12pullups
WhatthismeansinEnglish:Completethreeroundsofa400metersprint,21kettlebellswings,and12
pullupsasquicklyaspossible.
Agoodtimeis10minutes.Therecordis6:59(Ithinkthat'sright,itmightbeatadlower).Forreference,my
besttimeis7:58.
RoutineNotes
ThedifferencebetweenCrossfitandotherprograms,andwhatmakesitsopopularandeffective,isthatyou
dothisprogramwith1)atrainerand2)agroupofotherpeople.
HavingacertifiedCrossfittrainertheremeansthatyougetexpertlevelinstruction,soyouaredoingallyour
exercisestherightway,withtherightform.Crossfitinstructorsare(usually)veryknowledgeableandskilled
inexerciseandproperform,andcanteachandinstructyouverywell.
Andthesocialaspectcannotbeoverlooked.Havingotherpeopleusuallythesamepeopleoverand
overworkingoutwithyoucreatestwothings:1)competitionovertheworkout,whichisfunandpushesyou
harder,and2)asocialaspectthatincreasesyourworkoutcomplianceandenjoyment.Someofmybest
friendsnowarepeopleImetdoingCrossfit.Itattractsandretainsatypeofpersonthatisgenerallypositive,
hardworking,andfuntobearound.
Plus,ifyoureaguy,thereistheaddedbenefitthatCrossfitisanAWESOMEwaytomeetgirls.Andnot
justanygirlsgirlswhoareinshape,thatcareaboutthemselvesandtheirbodies,andarecoolandsocial.I
metmycurrentgirlfriend,whoisanamazinggirlinallways,throughCrossfit.
Ifyoucanaffordit,IHIGHLYrecommendCrossfit.Itreally,reallyworks.
Conclusion
Thereisnowayaroundthefactthatputtingstressonyourmusclesandmakingthemstrongerisakey
elementtonaturallyincreasingyourtestosterone.Youhavetomoveheavythingswithameasureof
intensity.Butworkoutsdon'thavetobeboringorannoying.Igaveyoufourgreatoptions,feelfreetopick
somethingelseifyoureallylikeitthereisnoonespecialworkoutthatisthekeytotestosterone,it'sjust
ANYdecentworkoutthatincludesheavyweightandintensitythatisimportant.
SleepProperly
Iputthissectionthird,butmanywouldargueitshouldgofirstinimportance.Thisisbecauseifyoudo
everythingelseright,butdon'tgetenoughqualitysleep,you'llseverelylimityourtestosteroneresults.The
factis,thereisnosinglethingyoucandothatismorecrucialtotestosteroneproductionthangettingas
muchqualitysleepasyourbodyneeds.
Thereareseveralreasonsforthis,mostofwhichIpersonallythinksciencedoesnotquitefullyunderstand
yet.Regardless,whatwedoknowisthatsleepissupercrucialtotestosteronebecausevirtuallyallofthe
bodystestosteroneisproducedwhileyousleep(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15914523),anda
lackofsleepinhibitsitsproduction(http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1029127).
NotonlydoesthequantityofyoursleepimpactT,butqualitymatterstoo.REMsleepepisodesarewhen
thequantityofTinyourbloodstreampeaks,andfitfulsleepthatmissestheseepisodesleadstolower
longtermtestosteronelevels(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18519168,
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11238497).
Ifeellikethisshouldn'tbehardtopersuadeyouaboutthough.Imean,whodoesn'tlikesleeping?Nowyou
canjustifysleepinglateandspending9hoursinbed:it'snecessaryforyourhealthandyourhormones.
HowtoSleepProperly:
Writingasectionaboutsleepisalittleweird,simplybecauseyou'vebeendoingityourwholelife.And
exceptforinsomniacs(whohaveawholedifferentsetofissuestoworryabout)everyonethinkstheyre
perfectlyfineatit.
Andtheyreallperfectlywrong.Thefactis,mostAmericansaresleepdeprived.
Beyondthat,mostAmericansdon'tgetqualitysleep.Thehumanbodyisdesignedforaverydifferent
environmentthantheonemostpeoplesleepin.Thereare8keyareastofocuson,andI'lltellyouwhatthe
idealsituationisforeachone.Thecloseryougettofollowingallofthesesuggestions,thebetter.
Butagain,likewithfood:Don'tworryaboutbeingperfect.Justbegood,andthat'llbefine.
Bedroom:
Youreally,reallyshouldfindawaytosleepinapitchblackroom.Andbypitchblack,Imeannolightatall.
Notasinglephotonifyoucanswingit.Thismakesahugedifference.Irecentlymovedmybedintomy
walkincloset(whichisbigenoughformybed)thathasnowindows,andnowthatIsleepinpitchblack,I
easilyfallasleep,stayasleepfor8to9hoursanight,andwakeupeverymorningfeelingrefreshedand
energized.ThatwasVERYhardformebefore.Blackoutcurtainsalsoworkreallywellifyoucan'tmoveinto
yourcloset(thosearethetypemosthotelshave).
Ifyoucan'tswingatrulypitchblackroom,attheveryleastuseasleepmaskoveryoureyes.Oranything
thatlimitstheamountofambientlightwhenyousleep.Thatmeansyouralarmclockwiththeredlight.That
meansyouriphonelight.ThatmeansALLLIGHT.Thisisthesinglemostimportantfactortogettinggood,
healthysleep:eliminating(orlimiting)ambientlight.
Nighttimelightexposure:
Thisistheotherwayyourbodygetsthewrongkindoflightatnight:screens.Electronicdeviceslikethe
computeryouarereadingthisonrightnowproduceabluelightthathasasimilareffectonourmelatoninas
highintensitylightlikesunlight.Thismakesitmuchhardertofallasleep.Ithoughtitwasbullshit,untilI
testeditandwasamazedbytheresults.IfoundmyselffallingasleepmuchquickerwhenIfiguredouthow
toeliminatethebluelightsofelectronicscreens(seebelow).
Ideally,avoidscreensfor1.52hoursbeforegoingtosleep.Iknowthat'sunrealisticformostpeople,even
meit's10pmasItypethisbook.
TheeasiersolutioniswhatIuse:f.luxsoftware.It'sfree,anditconvertsyourcomputersbluelighttosoft
candlelight,whichdoesn'tinhibitsleep.
Or,youcanbuyBlueLightBlockingShades.Yes,they'rekindagoofy,buttheyreally,reallywork.
Consistency:
Ourbodiesworkonaveryconsistentdaynightcycle(calledacircadianrhythm).Thesimplisticexplanation
isthathumansaredesignedtowakeupwhenthesuncomesup,andgotosleepwhenitgoesdown.This
isgeneticallyprogrammed.Wedoitevenwhenlockedintoplaceswherewecan'tseethesun
(http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1081/CBI100101056).Ifyoucansetyoursleepschedulelikethis,
it'sidealforyourhormonalhealth.
Now,ofcourse,thisisutterlyunrealisticformostpeople.Idon'tevendothis.Onlyoldretiredpeopleand
peoplewithoutelectricitycanliveasunuptosundownexistence.
Sohere'sthenextbestthing:Createaconsistenttimeyougotobedeverynight.Ifyoucanestablisha
consistentbedtime,saymidnight,thenyourbodywillinevitablyadjustandyou'llwakeupatthesametime
everydaytoo,inthatcase8or9am.Ifyoucandothat,it'salmostasgoodaslivingatrueday/night
circadianrhythm.
Temperature:
Humanssleepbestatcoolertemperatures,mainlybecauseitlowersourbodytemperature,whichoccurs
naturallyduringsleepanyway.Mostpeoplesleepbestbetween6570degrees.Ikeepmywalkinclosetat
65degrees.It'sawesome.
SleepEnvironment:
Theconventionalwisdomistonotengageinanyotheractivitiesinbedbesidessleepingandsex.The
sciencesuggeststhatithelpstoteachyourbrainthatthebedisaplaceforsleep.
Iseethelogicinthis,butIhavetobehonest:IreadeverynightbeforeIgotobed,andIreadinmybed.It
doesn'tseemtobotherme.IgrewupreadinginmybedbeforeIwenttosleep,andatthispoint,itfeels
weirdnottodoit.Butagain,mostevidenceindicatesthatthisinhibitssleepforsomepeople.
Youshouldtestthisonyourself,andseehowitworksforyou.Myguessisthatifyou'reoneofthepeople
whohaveproblemsfallingasleep,thisisimportantforyou.Ifyoudon'thavethatissue,thisisn'tabigdeal.
Consumption:
Whatyoueathasahugeimpactonhowyousleep.I'llcoverthebigthingshere,mostofthemshouldbe
obvious:
Stimulants:Minimizeallstimulantspast4pm,especiallycaffeine,asitisoneofthebiggest.Thisincludes
chocolate,whichhasalotofcaffeine,thoughnotasmuchascoffee.
Alcohol:Limityouralcoholto12drinks,makesurethelastdrinkisabout2hoursbeforebed(becauseits
astimulantbeforeitsadepressant).AlcoholsuppressesdeepandREMsleep,anditcancause
dehydration,sodrinklotsofwaterbeforeyougotosleep.
Eating:Becarefuleatingtoomuchrightbeforeyougotobed.It'snevereasytosleeponasuperfull
stomach.
Napping:
Yes,nappingduringthedayisfine.Ifyou'retired,sleep.Theidealtimeisthenaturalslumpincircadian
rhythmthatoccurs68hoursafterwakingup,whichusuallycoincideswith24pmintheafternoon.Make
sureyoudontnaptoolateortoomuchitmightmessupyoursleepschedule.Itseemsthatthemaximum
naptimeisabout45minutesorless.Anythingmorestartstomesswithyoursleep.
IfYouHaveProblemsFallingAsleep
Asidefromactual,neurologicalsleepdisorderswhichshouldbeaddressedbydoctors,notebooksthe
vastmajorityofinsomniaistheresultofunaddressedanxiety.Basically,theemotionsthatyouwon'tface
duringthedayarekeepingyouupatnight.Seriously,thatiswhyyou'retossingandturninginyourbed.
IaddressthisinmoredepthintheAdvancedConceptssection(underEmotion&Thought),oryoucanread
moreaboutithereandhere.ButI'lltellyoumyonestepgotostrategywhenIcan'tsleep:
A510minuteicecoldshower.
Iknow,itsoundsfuckingcrazy,butIdoitfortworeasons:
1.Itspikesyourtestosterone:Seriously,theresearchonthisisveryclear(Icoverthisindepthinthe
AdvancedTopicssectionaswell).
2.Nothingputsmeoutfaster.IfIcanmakeitthroughfiveminutesoffreezingcoldwater,99%ofthetimeI
amcompletelyoutwithin10minutes.It'sliketakinganAmbien,butyoudon'twakeupnakedwalking
aroundonthefreeway.
Thereareplentyofothersolutionsforsleeping,butItrytoavoidthembecausemostofthemfuckwithyour
hormonalbalance.Forexample,lotsofpeopleusemelatoninasasleepaid.Itworksgreat,buthere'sthe
problem:melatoninisahormone,andextendeduseofitcancauseallsortsofotherhormonalissues,
especiallyinmen.
Ifyoucanavoidusingsleepingpills,avoidit.
What'sTheMED?:
TheMinimumEffectiveDoseforsleepcouldnotbesimplerorclearer,soIwontmincewords:
89hoursofsleep,inacompletelydarkroom,everysinglenight.
That'stheminimumeffectivedose.Youcan'tcheatit.
NOTE:Ifyouareoneoftheabout1520%ofpeoplewhocanfunctionverywellonlessthan8hoursof
sleep,that'sgreat.That'sthecoolthingaboutsleepingproperly:It'sprettymuchimpossibletooversleep.
Whenyourbodyisdonesleeping,itwakesuprefreshed(unlessyouaredepressed,butthat'sadifferent
issuealtogether).Andifyou'reoneofthe1520%ofpeoplewhoneedmorethan9hoursofsleep,don'tfeel
guiltyabouttakingthattime.Thereisnotalwayscorrectamountoftimeyoumustsleep.Listentoyour
body,sleepuntilyoufeelrefreshed,andyou'llbegood.
WhatElseWorks?:
Nothing.ThereisliterallyNOalternativeatleastcurrentlyknowntomethatreplicatessleep.Andyes,I've
lookedatallthesleephackingplansoutthere,andyes,Itestedsomeofthem,andyes,Ithinktheyareall
bullshit.Andno,noneareshowntoactuallyworkorbeconsistentlysafelongterm.Atleastnotyet.
Theremaybealternativesoutthere,andiftheyarediscoveredandshowntowork,thenI'llhappilychange
mymind.Butsleepisoneofthosephysiologicalprocessesthatisbothtotallycrucialtohealthand
criminallymisunderstoodbyscience.SountilIseeandexperiencetheproof,I'mnotbuyingany
recommendationthatincludesanythinglessthanafullnightssleep.
Ifyou'restillskepticalaboutthisespeciallyasitrelatestotestosteronethinkofitthisway:Justabout
everylivingthinghastosleepproperly,oritdies.Wedon'treallyunderstandwhythisis,andIwon'tbore
youwithmytheoriesorideas,becausetheyaren'trelevanttowhyyou'rereadingthisbook.Whatisrelevant
iswhatincreasesyourtestosterone,andthereisnowayaroundthissimplefact:
Propersleepiscrucialtonaturallyincreasingyourtestosteronelevels.
Testing&Measuring
Isplitthissectionout,becausethoughIthinkgettingregularbloodtestsisveryimportant,anddoingother
baselinemeasurementsisreallybeneficial,it'snottrulyrequiredfortheMinimumEffectiveDose(whichis
supposedtobejusttheMINIMUM).Again,ifyouonlycareabouttheMEDplanandnothingelse,youcan
skipthissection.
WhatAreBloodTests?
Iamgoingtoassumethatmostofthereadersofthisbookarefamiliarwithaconventionalbloodtest.Ifyou
arenotifyou'veliterallyneverhadabloodtestorevenblooddrawnreadthisandit'llexplaineverything.
WhyWorryAboutBloodTests?
Herearethereasonsbloodtestingisimportantandshouldbesomepartofyourpersonaltestosteroneplan:
1.Tomeasureanyprogressintermsoftestosterone,youneedtoknowwhereyoustarted,whereyouare
going,andwhatgotyouthere.Themostimportantpartofexperimentationismeasuringresultsovertimeto
seewhatworks.IfyouplantodoanythingbeyondtheMEDplantodoyourownexperimentsthenyou'll
needabaselineandawaytoseetheimpactofchanges.
2.Youneedtomakesureyouactuallyhavelowtestosterone.Mostmenthinktheyneedtoincreasetheir
testosteronebecausetheyfeeloff,butifthatfeelingisntcomingfromlowtestosterone,youneedtolook
atothercauses.Godforbidyouhavesomeawfulillness,don'tknowitandjustselfdiagnosewithlow
testosterone,thenmissawindowtogettreatmentforarealdisease.Ofcourse,thisisrarelythecase,butI
mentionitbecauseit'snotunheardof.
How&WhereToGetYourBloodWorkDone:
Now,what'sgoingtobedifferentaboutthissection,atleastforsomeofyou,isthatI'mgoingtorecommend
thatyounotonlygetbloodtests,butthatyougetthemyourself,youtrackyourownchanges,andyoutake
chargeofyourownhealth(atleastinthisarena).Thisisasopposedtowhatmostpeopledo,whichisrun
everythingthroughtheirdoctor.
Whydoityourselfinsteadofrunningitthroughyourdoctor?Thefirstandbiggestreasoniscost.It'susually
80%cheapertodoitthisway.Andwhat'sfunnyisthatyou'dbeusingtheEXACTsamelabsthedoctors
sendyourbloodto.Oftentimes,it'sevendrawnbythesamephlebotomist(bloodnurse).
Butthebiggerreasonisthat,tobehonest,Idon'tthinktherearemanydoctorsinAmericarightnowwho
haveanyideawhattheyaretalkingaboutintermsofhormones.Thedoctorswhospecializeinhormones
knowhowtodoonething:Sellyouhormonereplacementtherapy.Thisisafterthemedicalestablishment
hasspentdecadestellingyoutoeatthingsthatdestroyyourbodyandendocrinesystem.Itslikewhenthe
Chineseshootpoliticalprisoners,thensendthefamilyabillforthebullet.Andthisisassumingyourdoctor
willevengiveyouyourtestresults.You'dbeshockedbyhowmanydoctorsseemtothinktheyaretheonly
oneswhoareallowedtolookatalabreport.
Idon'twanttogoonatangenthereaboutalltheproblemswithWesternmedicinethat'snotwhatthisbook
isabout,norisitreallyevenonpoint.Thepointissimple:Forbasicbaselinetestingandmeasurement,you
dontneeddoctors.Forthisatleast.*Infact,thereareseveraloptionstogetyourbloodworkdone.Hereare
someoftheeasiest,bestandcheapest:
1.PrivateMDLabs:LipidPanel($51)andTestosterone($48)
2.AnyLabTestNow:LipidPanel($49)andTestosterone($79)
3.HealthTestingCenters:LipidPanel($39)andTestosterone($129)
4.RequestaTest:LipidPanel($29)andTestosterone($129)
Yourotheroptionistogetyourbloodworkdonewithacompanythatdoestrackingaswell,like
WellnessFXorInsideTracker.Thisissignificantlymoreexpensive,andyoucanactuallyusetheirtracking
serviceswithoutusingthemtodoyourbloodwork.WellgoovertheseoptionsintheTrackingsection.
[*Forotherthingslikeemergencymedicineandsurgeries,yes,ofcourseyouneeddoctors.Theyarentall
badbyanymeans,theyjustknowwaylessthantheythinktheyknow,especiallyaboutcomplicated
subjectslikehormonesandnutrition.]
WhatYouNeedToKnow
Now,onceyougetyourbloodworkdone,you'llgetalabreportback.Thelabreportmaylookalittle
intimidatingatfirst,butit'snothardtounderstand.Ifyourestrugglingtounderstandalltheacronymsand
jargon,justreadthis.Thebloodworkthatwerecommendyouget(TestosteroneTestandLipidPanel)looks
atsevenbaselinenumbers.Usethefollowinginformationtojudgewhereyoustand:
1)TotalTestosterone
WhattoShootFor:700+ng/dL
DangerZone:Under500ng/dL(whichisprobablywhereyouareifyou'rereadingthisbook)
2)FreeTestosterone
WhattoShootFor:100+ng/dL
DangerZone:Under60ng/dL
3)HDL
WhattoShootFor:60+mg/dL
DangerZone:Under40mg/dL
4)VLDL
WhattoShootFor:20orlessmg/dL
DangerZone:40+mg/dL
5)Triglycerides
WhattoShootFor:Under100mg/dL
DangerZone:200+mg/dL
TrackingBloodChanges
Thefinalthingyouneedtodoistotrackyourchangesonanongoingbasis.Therearemanywaystodo
this,hereareafewofthem:
1)UseacompanylikeWellnessFXorInsideTracker.WellnessFXiscompletelyfreetouse,andInside
Trackercharges$49.Inbothcases,youinputyourownbloodtestresults.Theyalsocanbookbloodtests
foryou,butchecktheirpricesagainsttheplacesIlistI'veneverseenthemcheaper.
Ifyoureallywantasimple,AZsolutionandyouarenttooconcernedaboutmoney,yourbestbetisthe
PerformanceTestatWellnessFX.Youllgetalltheinfoyouneed,plusawholebunchofothervaluabledata,
expressedinareallyeasytounderstandway.
2)DownloadaniPhone/AndroidApp,andusethat.ThetwomostpopularareBloodWorkLiteandMy
BloodTest.
3)Useaspreadsheet.Theresnothingsocomplicatedaboutthedatayouretracking.Itsassimpleas
openingupanExcelfileandinputtingyourdatamanually.
NOTE:Ifyourbloodworkidentifiessomemajordeficiencyorproblem,I'drecommendgoingtoadoctorand
havingitcheckedout.Doctorsdon'treallyknowhowtooptimizeyourhealth,buttheydoknowhowtofix
mostacuteproblems,andifyouhaveanacuteproblem,don'tjusthopeforthebest.Getitfixed.
TrackingWeight
Idontthinkitssupercrucialtokeeptrackofyourweight.Idoit,butitsnotanecessarypartofgetting
yourtestosteroneup.
Thatbeingsaid,ifpayingattentionandseeingresultshelpstokeepyoumotivated,thendoit.Trackingyour
weightisreallyeasy.IusetheWithingsscale,whichIconnectedtomywifianditautomaticallykeeps
preciserecords.
Onenoteonthis:Weightbyitselfisoftennotagreatwaytomeasureprogress(ofanysort),especiallyif
youaredoingseriousstrengthtraining.Thisisbecausemuscleisdenserthanfat,andifyoureadding
musclewhileyoulosefat,thenyourweightmaynotchangedrastically.
Theidealsolutionisweight+bodyfattesting,butprecisebodyfattestingisarealpainintheasstodo.
TheWithingsscaletracksbodyfat,butitsjustusingsomebullshitBMIalgorithm,there'snotactualfat
measurement.EventheBEIscalesaren'tthatgreat.Atbest,they'regoodattrackingchanges,not
absolutes.
TheeasiersolutioniswhatRobbWolfrecommends:Pictures.Takeapictureofyourselfwithyourshirtoff
beforeyoustarttraining,thentakeoneeveryweekorso.Evenifyourweightdoesntchangemuch,youll
seethedifferenceinbodycompositionwhichiswhatreallymatters.
TrackingStrength
Trackingyourstrengthisagain,veryoptional,butagain,verymotivatingandfuntodo.
Thewaymostseriousliftersdothis,andmostCrossfitgymsIknowof,isbykeepingtrackofyour1RM
(onerepmax).IdoitsimplybecauseintheprogramIworkoutin(StrictlyStrength@TravisCounty
StrengthinAustin,TX),weoftendo1RMtestingtomeasureourgains.ButifIwasworkingoutonmyown,I
wouldprobablyneverdoa1RM.
Thepointisnottotrackyour1RM.Ifyoupickakettlebellworkout,thenthisofcoursemakesnosense.The
pointistotrackyourprogressinwhateveritisyou'redoing.Ifyou'reonlydoingpushupsandsprints,then
payattentiontohowmanypushupsyoucandoinarow,andhowmuchrestyouhavetotakebetween
sprints.
Progressisinspiringandcompellingandtrackingitmakesthisprocessenjoyable.Whichiswhatlifeshould
belike,especiallywhenyouretryingtomakeimprovementstocriticalareasofyourhealth.
TheMinimumEffectiveDosePlan
Thissectionisnothingnewit'sthesamethingsIjusttalkedaboutinthepriorsections,exceptthisis
ONLYtheminimumyoucandoandstillgetresults.Everythingelseiscutout,justtheessentials.That'sall
thisplanis:thesimplestsetofactionsthatwillgetyouresults.
Thatdoesn'tmeantheresultswillbesmall.Formostmen,thisplanwillproduceverygoodresults.I'veseen
thisplandoublethefree&totaltestosteroneforalotofguys(tripleinsomecases).Noguaranteesof
course,butthisplanisaneasyandeffectiveplacetostartifyouwanttonaturallyincreaseyour
testosterone.
Ifanyofthisisconfusingoryouwantmoreinfo,justreferbacktothesectionsonthesesubject,theyare
coveredindepth.
Eating
TheSlowCarbDiet:
1)Avoidwhitecarbohydrates(oranycarbohydratethatcanbewhite):Ifitisacarb,anditcanbe
whote,don'teat.Thislistisallofthesethings,incaseyou'reconfused:
nobread
nosugar
norice
nocereal
nopasta
nopotatoes
nothingbreaded
nonoodles(thataremadefromriceorflour)
Yes,Iknowthosefoodscanbedelicious.Theyalsomakeyoudisastrouslysick,andimpairyourbodies
abilitytomaketestosterone.Cutthemout.
2)Eatthesamefewmealsoverandover:Mostpeoplearemuchmorelikelytostickwithadietplanifit
doesntinvolvealotofdecisionmaking.Onewaytodothatistoeatsamefewmealsrepeatedly.Illgive
yousomeguidelinesforcreatingthesemealsfurtherdown.
3)Dontdrinkcalories:DonotdrinkANYTHINGthathascalories.Nomilk,fruitjuices,regularsoda,etc.
Youcandrinkmassivequantitiesofwater,andasmuchunsweetenedicedtea,tea,dietdrinks,coffee
(withoutcream),orothernocaloriedrinksasyouwant.
4)Donteatfruit:Alotofpeoplethinkthatbecausefruithasvitaminsandnutrients,theycaneatasmuch
astheywant.Fruitisalsoloadedwithsugarand,therefore,offlimits.
5)Takeonedayoffperweek:Thisismosteveryone'sfavoritepartofthisdiet:Theoffday.Eatanything
andeverythingthatyouwant.Thisisusefulbothpsychologically(becauseitmakestherestoftheweek
easier)andphysically(becausespikingcaloricintakeincreasesfatlossbykeepingyourmetabolismfrom
downregulating).Soifyoufeellikeyouaregoingtomissbreadandpastatoomuch,justsaveitallforone
dayaweek,andpigoutthen.Problemsolved.
Iwilltellyouthis:ThefirstfewmonthswhenIwasontheSlowCarb,Iwouldgonutsonoffdays,andfeel
likeshitafterwards,andgainatonofweight(whichadmittedly,allfelloffwithinadayortwo).Irealizedthat
IwaseatingmorethanIevenwantedto,andeatingthingsIdidn'tevenlike,justbecauseitwasanoffday.
SoIaddedapersonalrulethatmyoffdayswerestill"glutenfree."ThiswayIcouldgetlotsofsugaryand
carbytreats,likeicecreamandfrenchfries,butnothavetheawfulwheatimpactonmybodyandmy
hormones.Ifeltlikeitimprovedthedietalot,atleastforme.
WhatCanYouEat?
Alot.ThisisSUCHaneasywaytoeat.Infact,thisisbasicallythewayhumansatefor,oh,100,000years
orsobeforetheadventofagriculture.
WhatdoesanaveragemealontheSlowCarbDietlooklike?Theeasiestwaytocreateamealplanisto
mixandmatchtogetheronefoodfromeachofthefollowingcategories:
Proteins:Eggs,chicken,steak,beef,pork,lamb,fish.Prettymuchanyanimalflesh.
Legumes:Lentils,Blackbeans,Pintobeans
Vegetables:Spinach,sweetpotatoes,Asparagus,Peas,Mixedvegetables,Broccoli,Greenbeans,
Sauerkraut(oranypickledorfermentedvegetable).
NOTE:Ifthereisonethingyoureallyneedtopayattentionto,itsthatyouneedtomakesureyouadd
enoughlegumesorgoodstarchestoyourmealstomakeupforthelostgrainsandsugars.Abigproblem
peopleontheSlowCarbDietfaceitbeinghungryalotatfirst,butthat'sbecausetheyaren'teatingenough
fatandlegumestoreplacethecaloricloadofthelostsugarsandgrains.
That'sit.Ifyouneedmoreinformationormoreideas,useanyofthefreeresourcesbelow:
MoreInformation:
Theoriginalpostthatstartedthis
TheFourHourBody
TheSlowCarbSubreddit
SampleSlowCarbMealPlan
SuccessStories
Recipes:
TheSlowCarbCookbook
FourHourBodyRecipes
SlowCarbDietonPinterest
Tools:
CanIEatIt?
Exercise
BasicStrengthTraining
Timecommitment:2xaweek,4560minsperworkout
Program:
Day1(Monday):
Shortwarmup
Squat,5setsx46reps
BarbellOverheadpress,5setsx46reps
BentOverRow(barbellispreferable,butcanusedumbbells),5setsx46reps
Day2(Thursday):
Shortwarmup
Deadlift,5setsx46reps
BenchPress,5setsx46reps
Pullups,5setsxAMAP(asmanyaspossible)
HowToSquatProperly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy28eq2PjcMorhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLwiGkywKN4
HowToOverheadPressProperly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3QY5vMz_6Iorhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWeRuB9uWNE
HowToBentOverRowProperly:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCg1YxMt3oYor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boxbOSGwD4U
HowToDeadliftProperly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qRntuXBScorhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0bYgp8uR8
HowToBenchPressProperly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRVjAtPip0Yorhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33mjoyc5JbE
HowToDoPullupsProperly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQa7iV9sE_worhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ig8DQXLeD0
RoutineNotes
Heresthekeytothisworkout:FORM.Youneedtopayalotofattentiontoyourform,especiallyonthe
squatanddeadlift.Theybothlooklikeverysimpleexercises,andinsomewaystheyare,butifyoudothem
wrong,theyaremuchlesseffective.AndifyouuseheavyweightsanddothemWAYwrong,youcanget
hurt.Dontdothemwrong.Ifyoucantgethelpfromanyone,thenfilmyourselfwithyoursmartphone,and
compareittothevideosyouseehere.
Therepsaresetat46forverygood,veryimportantneurologicalreasons.Allsetsshouldbewithaweight
youcandoatleast4times,butnotmorethan6.Ifyoucandomorethan6reps,addweight.Ifyoucantdo
4reps,takeweightoff.
Aswithallexerciseroutines,makesureyouwarmupfirst.Fiveminutesontheexercisebikeisfine.And
thendoaverylightsetoneortwotimeswitheachexercisebeforeyoustarttheheavyloads.Sofor
example,ifmyworkingweightonthebenchpressisinthe225lbsrange,I'lldo135lbslike10times,then
185lbsmaybe8times,beforeIput225onandstartdoing5setsof5reps(forexample).
Definitelygiveyourselfrestbetweensets,butnotmorethan90seconds.Iusuallytakethefull90seconds
betweensets,becauseifyou'reliftingheavy,you'llneedtherest.
Thisprogramdoesrequireyoutokeeptrackofyourweightsalittlebit.Youdonthavetogocrazywith
trackingappsoranythinglikethat.Useanotepadifyouneedit.Justrememberwhereyourweightwaslast
timeyoudidthatexercise,andstartthere.
NOTE:Ifyouareyoungandsuperenergetic,2xaweekwiththisprogrammaynotbeenoughofaworkload
foryou.Ifthat'sthecase,go3xormaybeeven4xaweek.
Sleep
I'lltrytobeasclearasIcanhere:
Get89hoursofsleep,inacompletelydarkroom,everysinglenight.
That'stheminimumeffectivedose.Youcan'tcheatthis.
That'sit.Dothissimpleplanforonemonth,andyou'llgetresults.Ifyoudon'tgetresults,oryouwantmore
results,goreadthroughthebookandstartaddingthings.
OneTypeOfAdvancedPlan:Tucker'sPlan
Hereismycurrentdiet/exercise/sleep/thinkingprogramIuse(asofearly2014):
HowIWorkOut:
Iworkoutthreetimesaweek,withtwobasictypesofactivitiesstrengthtrainingandBJJ/MMA.
StrengthTraining:
IdoaprogramcalledStrictlyStrength(atTravisCountyStrengthGyminAustin,TX)
[http://strictlystrengthproject.com/,http://www.facebook.com/TravisCountyStrength]
ItsbasicallyjustatypeofCrossfit.LikeCrossfit,wedomainlydoheavily,compoundlifts+highintensity
training.ThedifferencebetweenusandCrossfitisthatwefocusmoreonhighloadslowlifts(squat,deadlift,
etc),wedoaslightlyhighervolume,awealsocombinetheseliftswithagilityandexplosivemovements.
IworkoutintheMonday&Thursday530pmclasses.
Includingwarmupsandstretchafterwards,theseworkoutsareanhour.Itsonlyabout3040minutesof
actuallifting.
ThisisatypicalStrictlyStrengthworkout:
1.Mobility(stretching)
2.DynamicWarmup(thisislikejumpingjacks,bearcrawls,bandwalks,etc)
3.WarmUpWOD(WorkoutOftheDay)
10minuteEMOM(EveryMinuteOnMinute,wedooneround,soit's10roundstotal)
5sumodeadlifts@135
5burpeesoverthebar
5cleanandpress@135
4.StrengthWOD(StrengthWorkoutOftheDay)
Backsquats,AHAP(AsHeavyAsPossible)
108642,yourlastsetshouldbeyour2repmaxweight
10Boxjumpsbetweeneachset,24inches
5.FunWOD("Fun"WorkoutOftheDay)
5roundsfortime:
200msprintw/80lbsandbag
10dumbbellpushups
10dumbbellcurls
10pullups
BJJ/MMA:
IrollonSundaysorFridays,sometimesI'llgotwiceaweek
IusuallydoBJJ,sometimesIllputontheglovesandactuallysparMMAorMuayThai
Theseworkoutsarenevermorethan4560mins
SometimesIplaybasketballinstead,whenIminjuredordontfeellikefighting
HowIEat:
Basically,IeattheAncestralDietthatItalkaboutinthe"EatProperly"section.Herearemypersonaldiet
details:
WhatIFocusonEating:
Proteins:
Hormoneandantibioticfreerangemeats(steak&lambespecially,butalsochickenandgamemeats)
Lotsofbonebrothsandorganmeats
Freshshellfish(espoystersandmussels)
Fresh,wildcaughtfish(sardinesandsmallfishmostly,theloweronthefoodchainthebetter,toreduce
accumulationoftoxins)
Carbs:
Anyfresh,greenvegetables
Starchy,rootvegetables(sweetpotatoes,radishes,beets,carrots,yucca,etc)
Legumes(onlyiftheyareheavilysoakedanddrainedpriortocooking,toremovephytates)
MostfruitisOKinmoderation,butNOstraightjuices.Musteatitwiththefiber,thisreducestheinsulin
spike.
Fats:
LotsofgrassfedIrishbutter
Lotsofcoconutoil
Lotsofbonemarrow
Almostanyproperlyfermenteddairy(meaningithaslivebacteriaculturesinit):greekyogurt,sourcream,
kefir,cheese,etc
Moderateoliveoil,onlyasasaladdressingordrizzle(Irarelycookwithit,b/cofoxidation)
Moderatetreenuts,usuallyraw(almonds,brazilnuts,pecans,etc)
Alcohol:
Wine(34timesaweekIwillhaveaglassofwineortwowithdinner)
Vodka(23xamonth,andmostlyDeepEddySweetTeaandRubyRedGrapefruitVodkas)
WhatIAvoidEating:
Noaddedorprocessedsugar
Nowheatorgrainofanyform
Nosoy
Novegetable/seedoils(canola,safflower,margarine,etc)
Nocorn(thisisagrain,butpeopleforgetsometimes)
Nobeer
Verylittlerice(onlyonintenseworkoutdays,onceaweekatmost)
Verylittlepotatoes(onlyonintenseworkoutdays,onceaweekatmost)
WhatISupplement:
Everyday:
VitaminD(8000IU/saday,inthemorning)
FishOil(5gaday,inthemorning)
RawAlmonds(Ieatahandful,like1520,overthecourseofanormalday)
Somedays:
Liverpills(onheavyliftingdaysonly,2xaweek)
ZMA(3g,rightbeforebed,usuallyonlyonlyonworkoutdays)
BCAA(onlyonintenseworkoutdays,rightbeforetheworkout)
Wheyprotein(usuallyonlyonworkoutdays,sometimesasalightmealreplacement)
VitaminK2supplement(onlyonintenseworkoutdays)
AverageFoodDay:
Breakfast:
Iusuallyskipbreakfast.ThisiswhatIeatinstead,anditworkswonders.IuseaMagicBullettoblendit
together:
1216ouncesofcoffee
2tblsofcoconutoil
2patsofgrassfedIrishbutter
1tblsofraw,organiccocoapowder
1tspoforganiccinnamon
1tspofraw,organicvanillabeanpowder
24dropsofstevia
IfI'mhungry(whichIusuallyamthemorningafteraheavyworkout),thenI'llgowiththebelowbreakfast:
2cupsofcoffeeorblacktea
23eggs(truefreerange,Ibuythemfromalocalfarmer)
venisonsausageorlambbellyorthickbacon
smallservingofsauerkraut
Lunch:
Usuallyaverylightmeal,likeGreekYogurtw/blueberries,orafreshsaladwithsomechicken,orsome
bonebrothandvegetables.
Preworkout(Iusuallyworkoutaround5pm):
10gramsBCAAs
Somesortofnoncaffeinebasedstimulant,likePowerShotElite(IdothistoavoidcaffeineatnightifI
workoutinthemorning,Ijustuseanormalcaffeinebasedstimulant)
Postworkoutmeal(thisandthepreworkoutsnackareskippedonoffdays):
Wheyproteinshakew/additives:rawcocoa,vanilla,cinnamon&stevia
Dinner:
someprotein(steak,lamb,chicken,fish)
somestarch(usuallysweetpotatoes,beans,lentils,etc)
somegreenvegetableorsalad
aglassofredwine(IusetheCorvintodrinkaglasswithouthavingtoopenabottle,itsawesome)
Dessert(optional):
darkchocolate(atleast70%cocoa)
vanillacremefraiche(thisisverylowsugar,anditsfermented)
sometimesIllhavegreekyogurtwithhoney,ifImreallysoreandneedmoreprotein
Sleep:
Isleep89hourspernight,inapitchblackroom(actuallyawalkincloset,likeIsaidearlier).IfIdontget
thismuchsleep,Itakenapsduringtheday.Inever,evercheatmyselfoutofsleep.
TheResultsOfMyPlan
Mycurrentrelevantblood,weightandstrengthstats.Thebloodworkaremybaselinemeasurements,
averagedoverseveraltestsduringthepast34years,usingvarioustestingfacilities.Theweightandbody
fatweretrackedwiththeWithingsscaleandathleteBMIconversion.Thestrengthmeasurementsaremy
current1RM,notmyalltimepersonalrecords:
BloodWork:
totaltestosterone:803ng/dl(Istartedat317ng/dl)
vitaminD:73mg/dl(Istartedat42ng/dl)
trigylcerides:37mg/dl
HDL:86mg/dl
VLDL:12
cholesterol:205mg/dl
[Yes,theselipidscoresareright,andyes,theyarethatgood.Andno,notevenmycardiologistbelieved
thematfirst,hehadmeretakethebloodtests.WhenItoldhimhowIeat,hewasshocked.Mostdoctors
don'tlearnaboutnutritioninmedschool.]
Body:
weight:~180
bodyfat:~8%(whenIreallywant,Icaneasilycutthisto7%andeven6%.Butgettingshredded,
especiallyinyourlatethirties,isnotafunthingtodo.I'mhappywithaneasy8%)
Strength(1RM):
benchpress:255lbs
backsquat:~300lbs
deadlift:405lbs
Thesestrengthlevelsaredecent,butnothingtobragabout.Remember:thepointisn'ttobethestrongest
dudeinyourgym.Thepointistobeasstrongasyouneedtobeforwhatyouwant,andforme,that'sbasic
health.
AdvancedConcepts:
Youdonotneedtoreadthissection.Ifyoupayattentiontothefundamentalsofdiet,exerciseandsleep
thatIlaidout,youwillprobablyseethetestosteroneresultsyouwant.
Thissectioncontainslotsofinformationaboutotherplacesyoucanlooktooptimizeyourtestosteroneonce
youhavefirmlyestablishedthefundamentalsofdiet,sleepandexercise.
NoticehowIsaidOPTIMIZE.Nothinginthissectionisgoingtobeabletomakeupforeatingshittyfood,
notgettingenoughsleep,andnotdoingrealstrengthtraining.Theworstthingyoucandoistrythethingsin
thissectionbeforeyougetyourfundamentalsstraight.Icannotemphasizethatpointenough.
Thatbeingsaid,forsomepeopleandIwasoneofthemthefundamentalsarenotenough.Thosepeople
haveissueswiththeirtestosteronethatthefundamentalsalonedonotfix,andthushavetofigureoutways
tooptimizetheirlifestyletoreallygettotheheartofwhytheirtestosteronewasmessedupinthefirstplace.
Understandingthat,thissectionservesafewpurposes:
1.Troubleshooting:Thissectionwillalsogivepeoplewhodon'tseemanyresultsfromtheseplansawayto
starttroubleshootingtheirhormonesandseeifpossiblytheproblemexistselsewhere.Ifyouarealready
eatingright,sleepingwellanddoinggoodstrengthtrainingexercise,thentheremaybeanotherissuethat
canbequicklysolved.
2.Jumpstartplateaus:Someofyouwillseeincredibleresults,andthensettleintoaroutineandplateau
belowthelevelyouwanttogetto.Thissectionhasatonofideasthatwillgivethosepeopleawaytojump
starttheirplansandbeingtestingotherthingstoseewheretheycanoptimizeevenfurther.
3.Moreresearchareas:Thissectionalsogivesthepeoplewhoreallywanttolearnmoreabouttestosterone
afewplacesadditionalplacestostarttheirreadingandresearch.Thefactis,westilldon'tknowshitabout
howhormonesreallyinteractwithhumansandtheirenvironment,andeverymonthitseemsbringsmoreand
moreknowledge.Ifyouwanttobeatthecuttingedgeofthisinfo,Ihelpyougetstartedhere.
1.MicronutrientTesting
Ifyoureeatingrightandworkingoutandsleeping,andyourtestosteroneisstillverylow,themostlikely
problemisthatyouhavesomespecificmicronutrientholeinyourdiet.Oneofthekeyfactorsinlow
testosteroneformostmenisusuallysomesortofmicronutrientdeficiency.Mostpeoplecanfixthese
deficiencieswithaproperdiet,whichiswhyIemphasizefixingyourdietfirst.
Butnoteveryone.Thiswasmypreciseproblem.WhenIstartedreallydiggingintotestosteroneresearch,I
wasalreadyeatingpaleoandstrengthtrainingwasverygood(mysleeppatternsthenwereOK,notgreat
liketheyarenow).ButIwasstillinthe300400sintotaltestosterone.Thisisnotgood.Ihadtolookother
placesformyproblem.
ThefirstplaceIlookedwasformicronutrientdeficiencies.Basically,Ilookedtoseeifmybodywasgetting
enoughofwhatitneededfromthefoodsIwaseating.SoIdecidedtodoamicronutrienttest.Thiscanbe
expensive,butworthitifyoucanaffordit.
Inmyspecificcase,itwasutterlycrucial.IgottestedandfoundoutIwasseverelyB12andmagnesium
deficient,andslightlyB5definicient.Thiswasimportantinformationforme,asIthoughtsinceIwasalready
eatingpaleoatthetimethatIwasgettingmorethanenoughoftheanimalproductsthatyougetBvitamins
from.ThoughIwaseatinglotsofmeat,itwaskindashitty,lowqualitymeat,andespeciallylowqualityfats,
andthisqualityissueswaspreventingmefromgettingtherightnutrients,whichwasimpactingmy
hormones.AndbothB12andespeciallymagnesiumaresuperimportanttotestosteroneproduction.
Fromthatfinding,intheshorttermIstartedtakingZMAanddessicatedliverpills,andsawimmediate
resultsbothinhowIfeltandmytestosteroneresultsinmybloodtests.Thesetwobasicsupplementsfilled
mymicronutrientneedsperfectly.Inthelongterm,Ididalotmoreresearchandstartedtounderstandthe
importanceoffoodquality,andshiftedtotheAncestralDiet.
NowthatIameatingamorebalanceddietwithspecialattentionpaidtothesourceofmyfood,Idon'treally
evenneedthesupplementsmuchanymore.IonlytakeZMAandliverpillsondaysIdoheavylifting.
WhereToGetTested:
1.AnyLabTestNow:MicronutrientTest($399)
2.DirectLabs:VitaminsPanel($329)
Theotheroption,asdiscussedintheTestosteronetestingsection,istogotooneofthetracking
companies,likeWellnessFXorInsideTracker.Forgoodmicronutrienttestingandtrackingpackaged
togetherwiththeTestosteronetestingrecommendedinthatsection,IrecommendthePerformanceTestat
WellnessFX.
2.VitaminMegadosing
Fillingthesemicronutrientgapsincreasedmytestosterone,butnottowhereitshouldhavebeen.SoIdrilled
downfurther,andrealizedthatthe"recommended"rangesformicronutrientsareoftenwaywrong,especially
foryoung,healthyguys.Forexample,therecommendedrangeforvitaminDis4050ng/mlformen.I've
foundthatIneedtobeabove60ng/mltoseeserioustestosteroneincreases.
Iendedupreallydivinginandtestingalotofthingshere.IamnotgoingtogettofarintowhatIdidwith
vitaminandmineralmegadosing,becausesomeofitwasnotaltogethersafe,andthisistheexactsortof
areathatpeoplewilltrytouseto"cheat"eatingtherightdiet.Iwasguiltyofthatsortofbehavioratfirsttoo,
tobehonest.
WhatIwilldoistellyouthevariousvitaminareasIbelievehavesuspicioustestranges,andI'lltellyoureal
wholefoodsyoucaneattohelpyousupplementtheseareas,inadditiontosupplements.
Whyrealwholefoods?Becauseifyoucangetyourvitaminsfromfoodinsteadofsupplements,you're
almostalwaysgoingtobebetteroff.
1.VitaminD:Superimportant.Coveredinthe"EatRight"section,readitallthere.
2.VitaminK2:Thisisasuperimportantvitamin,anditsoftenoverlooked.VitaminK2wasonlydiscovered
inthelastfewdecades,andit'sroleinthehumanbodyisnotfullyunderstood.FromwhatI'vereadand
seenwithtestsinmybody,Ithinkit'sveryimportanttothebodiesabilitytosynthesizevitaminsD&A,
whicharebothcrucialtotestosteroneproduction.
WestonPriceiscredited(orshouldbe)withdiscoveringVitaminK2,andhefoundalsothinksitworksin
concertwithvitaminsAandDtoamplifytheireffectsbyallowingthemtobindtocalcium.Inanexperiment
byDr.WestonPrice,turkeysfedadeficiencydietwerepartiallyhelpedbyacodliveroilsupplementation,
whichprovidesvitaminsAandD.However,whenhighK2butterwasaddedtotheirsupplementation,its
effectivenessdoubled(http://www.westonaprice.org/fatsolubleactivators/xfactorisvitamink2).
PricehasalsoshownthatwhatwethinkofasvitaminDtoxicityoroverdose,isactuallytheresultofa
relativedeficiencyofvitaminK(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987706007171).
MoreResearch:SupplementationwithVitaminK2hasbeenproventosignificantlyraisetestosteronelevels
inrats(http://www.lipidworld.com/content/10/1/158).Onasidenote,itsalsobeenshowntoincreaseheart
health,boneformation,andresorption.
FoodsourcesofVitaminK2:ThebestsourceisafermentedJapanesedishcalledNatto,ifyoucanfindit,
orotherfermentedfoodslikesauerkraut.Otherwise,pasteurized/organiceggyolks,butter,softandhard
cheesesareallgoodsources.
Supplements:
SuperKwithAdvancedK2Complex:Iusethis,andloveit.
3.VitaminA:Byitself,vitaminAisnotallthatbigofadeal,butwhenyouhavetestosteroneissues,itacts
inconcertwithvitaminK2andDtohelpout.Youcanseesomeoftheresearchabove,andthenmorehere:
Research:Inastudydoneon155pairsoftwins,vitaminAintakewasfoundtobesignificantlycorrelated
withtestosteronelevels(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3360302).Anotherexperiment,doneon
guineapigs,foundthatvitaminAdeficiencyresultedinadecreaseintestosterone
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11055546).
Themostconvincingstudy,however,focusedon102underdevelopedyoungmenwithshortstatureand
delayedpuberty.TheyfoundthatvitaminAsupplementation(alongwithiron)wasaseffectiveasdirect
testosteronesupplementsinstimulatinggrowthandpuberty
SourcesofVitaminA:YoucangetVitaminAfrombeefliverorcodliveroil,redspices(likepaprika,red
pepper,cayenne,chilipowder),brightorangevegetables(likesweetpotatoes,carrots,andsquash),and
leafygreens(likebroccoli,kale,andspinach).
Supplements:BeverlyNutritionDessicatedLiverPills(thesamethingsItakeforB12supplementation.See
whyorganmeatsaresoimportant?)
4.VitaminB12:ThiswasaspecificproblemIhad,butalsocomesupwithalotofguyswithahistoryof
excessivealcoholconsumption(orotherdigestiveproblems),whosestomachandintestinesstruggleto
absorbthevitaminproperly.Itsalsocommoninvegetariansandvegans,whoarentconsumingthefoods
necessarytogetthevitamin.Asaresult,almost40%ofAmericansarebelowthesaferangeofVitamin
B12(http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/aug00/vita0800.htm).Whichmeansthatwaymorearebelowthe
optimalrange,whichIthinkisatleast700ng/dl,maybeeven1000ng/dl.
Supplements:BeverlyNutritionDessicatedLiverPills
5.Carnitine:Ialmostleftthisout,butthefactisIsupplementcarnitine,soitwouldbehypocriticaltonot
talkaboutthis.Theproblemisthattheresearchinthisareaissuperconfusing,mainlybecausecarnitine
cancomeinlike4differentformsinthebody,andnoonereallyknowshowtheyinteractwithyour
hormonesandhealth.Iwilltellyouthis:Inmyexperience,thesupplementItakemakemereallyfucking
horny.ButIknowotherpeoplewhousedthemandgotnothing.TheonlycorrelationIcanseeisthatit
tendstobemoreeffectiveinoldermen,andsinceI'm38now,Iguessthatincludesme.
Supplement:BeverlyNutritionQuadracarnPills
NOTE:Iusuallytaketheseatnight,I'vefoundtheyworkbetterthatway,atleastforme.
3.IntermittentFasting
IntermittentFasting(IF)hasbecomesuperpopularinmanydietandhealthcircles,andthereasonis
simple:Itreallyworkswell,especiallyatcuttingfat.Iuseitandbelieveinit.Ididn'treallytalkaboutthisin
myplan,simplybecauseIfeellikeitisalittlecomplicatedforbeginners,andmostpeoplecangetthe
resultstheywantwithouteverhavingtoworryaboutit.Besides,whenyoutellpeopletonoteatameal,
mostofthemfreakout.I'dratherstartpeopleslow,thenletthemfigureoutthemostcomplicatedthingsat
theirownpace.
TherearemanydifferenttakesonIF,butthemostcommononeistosimplyeatallofyourmealswithinan
8hourwindow.Iusenoonto8pm.Thatmeanstheother16hoursofthedayarespentfasting.Itsthat
simple.Really,ifyoulookatthemealdistributioninmyplan[partX],Isaythatmybreakfastisoftenjust
coffeeandcoconutoil.ThenIeatlunchatlike12or1,asnackatlike4onnonworkoutdays,oraprotein
shakeaftermyworkout,thenanicebigdinneratlike7pm.Sameamountofcalories,samenutrients,just
pressedintoashortwindow.
IFistoutedforitsabilitytopackonmusclewhilelosingfat,butitworksprettywellforincreasing
testosteroneaswell.Astudydoneonagroupofobesemenfoundthatthekindofovernightfasting
prescribedbyIFincreasedtheirTestosteronelevelsby180%
(http://www.ejeonline.org/content/121/5/727.abstract).Inanotherstudy,ratsfedadietbasedonIFhad
higherTthanthenormalhighfathighglucosegroup,ortherestrictedcaloriegroup
(http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2607546/reload=0jsessionid=RcQf2DSDBrvjOx3EbciI.0).
Iwon'tgotoofarintoIF,simplybecauseIdon'tconsidermyselfanexpertatit.Ihavetestedmostofthe
protocolsthough,andthebasiconesseemtoworkreallywell.
Wheretolearnmore:
TheLeangainsGuide
BeginnersGuidetoIntermittentFastingonNerdFitness
BenefitsofIntermittentFastingonMarksDailyApple
Man2.0EngineeringtheAlphabyJohnRomanielloandAdamBornstein
4.ColdSubmersion
Italkedaboutthisbrieflyinthe"SleepWell"sectionofthebook.Itestedusingcoldshowerstoboostmy
testosteroneafterTimFerrisstoldmeaboutitwhenhewasdoingthe4HB,andthoughitworked,Ijust
couldn'tfuckingdealwithtakingcoldshowersallthetime.Whyworkhardandachievethingsinlifejustso
youcannotusewarmwater?Thatbeingsaid,Idouseittofallasleepwhennothingelseisworking,
becausegoddamndoesitwork.Knocksmethefuckout.
ThereisaTONofresearchabouthowcoldimmersionhasimmunebenefits,fatlossbenefits,circulation
benefits,skinbenefits,andthebigthingisthereductionininflammation.It'sclearlygoodforyou.
Thebigbenefitinrotatinghotimmersionandcoldimmersionafteranintenseworkoutistheimpactithason
reducinginflammationandspeedingrecovery.IdothatallthetimeatmylocalFourSeasonsifIam
sorerotatebetweenthehottubandcoldtub.Andthisisprettybasicrecoveryforallhighlevelathletes.
RayLewisclaimsthatoneofthereasonshespentsolongintheleagueisbecausehespentalotoftimein
thecoldtub.[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uXYh9odVWw]
Thatbeingsaid,theresearchonthelinkbetweencoldshowersandtestosteroneisalittleshaky.Apaper
bytheThrombosisResearchInstitutein1993issaidtohavedemonstratedarelationshipbetweenthetwo
factors,buttheresearchmethodsinthatpaperaresuspect,andthereisnootherrandomized,doubleblind
evidencereallyoutthere.
Thatdoesn'tmeanit'snotimportant.Ithinkabigreasonthereisn'tanyevidencehereisbecauseno
researchisdoneintothisfield.Whynot?Becausecoldwaterischeapandcan'tbepatented,noonecan
makemoneyonthisresearch.Moneydrivesscience.
That'sanotherthingtoalwaysrememberaboutscientificresearchpeoplethinklackofevidencemeansno
relationship.That'swrong.Itoftenmeansnostudieshavebeendone,whichisnotremotelythesamething.
Anecdotalfindingsareveryimportant,especiallyinfieldsthatarecomplexandunderstudied,likehormone
research.
Forexample,coldshowershavebeenshowntohelpincreasemusclemassanddecreasefat,mostlikely
duetotheirabilitytoincreasebrownadiposetissue.Asdiscussedearlierinthisbook,increasingmuscle
massanddecreasingfatisgoodfortestosterone(youcanreadmoreaboutthisinTimFerrissFourHour
Body).Andthebasicfactthatcoldtubsincreasehormesisisalmostacertainwaythattheyimpact
testosterone,butagain,thishasnotbeenstudiedwellatall.
Whatdoesthismeantoyou?IusecoldtubseverychanceIget,andIthinktheyhelpwithtestosterone.
ThisisoneofthosethingsthatIthinkreallymatterifyou'reahighlevelathlete,oryoujustlikecoldwater.If
not,youcanskipthisandbefine.
Wheretolearnmore:
TheBenefitsofColdShowers(ImpossibleHQ)
IceBathsintheNFL(SportsCenter)
TheJamesBondShower(ArtofManliness)
TheFourHourBody,Chapter:IceAgebyTimFerriss
5.Plastics
Thisfieldisnotmyspecialtyatall,andIclaimnoexpertise,butIwillsaythis:AfterreadingOriHofmeklers
book,TheAntiEstrogenicDiet,andthendoingmyownresearchintothestudiesbehindhisclaims,Iwent
aroundmyhouseandgotridofasmanyplasticsandharmchemicalladencleanersaspossible.Ionlyuse
allnatural,sourcedsoaps,deodorants,shavingcreams,cleaningproducts,detergents,etc,andIuseglass
asmuchaspossible,asopposedtoplastics,foreverythingIcaninmykitchen.
Sohere'sthebasictheory:Weareexposedtoafloodofunnaturalchemicalsthatcomefromallsortsof
sourcesinourhousecleaningproducts,detergents,soap,deodorant,etc.Thesechemicalshavewhatare
called"chemicaldisrupters"inthem,andtheycauseallsortsofhavocinthehumanendocrinesystem.The
largestclassofthesechemicaldisruptorsare"xenoestrogens"whicharepetroleumbasedchemicalsthat
actlikeestrogeninourbody,causingtestosteronelevelstodropsignificantly
Thisisapreposterouslysimpleexplanation,andifyoucareaboutthis,I'dencourageyoutoreadmorefrom
thesesources:
TheNakedTruthaboutXenoestogens(InterviewwithDr.JohnK.Williams)
MaleReproductiveHealthandEnvironmentalXenoestrogens
AListofXenoestrogens
TheAntiEstrogenicDietbyOriHofmekler
TheEstrogenEffect(BBCDocumentary)
WhatCanYouDo?:
Theeasiestwaytoavoidxenoestrogrensistousenaturalgroomingproducts.Mostofthecrapyoubuy
containsparabens,whichisaxenoestrogen,amongotherharmfulchemicals.Believeitornot,thebest
placestobuygroomingproductsarethehippystoresthatselloverpricedcrapcometofindout,it'snot
actuallycrap(thoughitisstillexpensive).Someexamples:
JasonShampoo
Dr.BronnersOrganicBodySoap
TomsofMaineToothpaste
TomsofMaineLongLastingDeodorant
6.SexualActivity
Sex
Ifyoucanhavemoresex,doit.Asidefromsexbeingawesome,itseemstoincreasestestosterone.
Instudyingtherelationshipbetweentestosteroneandsex,researchersoftenfindthemselvesinthemiddle
ofachickenandtheeggproblem.Thereisaclearcorrelationbetweentestosteronelevelsandtheamount
ofsexmenhave(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0031938492904539).Butistheincreased
testosteronecausingmoresex,orcanwejustattributeittohighTmenbeinghornierandmoreattractiveto
women?
Theresearchsuggeststhatthesexis,infact,causingthetestosteronelevels.Arecentstudyhasshown
thatmenhavehighertestosteronelevelsonnightsaftertheyhavehadsexthanonnightstheyhavent
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0031938492904539).Furthermore,itseemsthatthemere
anticipationofsexinratsisenoughtoboostTestosterone(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7434016).
Becauseofthecorrelationvs.causationproblem,itshardtobesurehowmuchofaneffectthisreallyhas.
Worstcasescenario,youhavemoresexandithasnoimpactonyourtestosterone.Ifailtoseeany
downsidefromthat.
Masturbation
Thereisamyththattoomuchmasturbationlowerstestosteronelevels.Thisisntthecase.Themost
indepthstudyonthetopictestedmenstestosteronelevelsthrough16daysofabstinenceandfound
almostnorelationship(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11760788),exceptforaspikeonthe6thand
7thdays(discussedbelow).Althoughtheabstractofthisstudymakesitsoundliketheresadifferencein
testosteronelevels,itspoorlywordedandmisleading,andtestosteronelevelsareactuallyunaffected.Fora
moreindepthexplanationofthisstudy,andmoreevidenceagainsttheabstinenceincreasesTestosterone
myth,godownthisrabbithole.Sufficeittosay,therearebenefitstomasturbatingless,butincreased
testosteronelevelsisntoneofthem.
Testosteroneandmasturbationdointeractintwowellstudiedways:
1)Ejaculationtosatietycausesatemporarydecrease(about72hours)inthereceptorsinyourbrainthat
interactwithTestosterone(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23707935).
2)After6daysofabstinence,Testosteroneskyrocketsbeforereachingapeakonthe7thday,andfalling
backtobaselinelevelsfromthe8thdayon(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12659241).
Sowhatdoesallofthismean?Nooneispreciselysure,andmasturbationisafieldthatagainhasbeen
poorlystudied.Nomoneyinit.Here'swhatIthink:
Thereislittledoubtthatmasturbationisnatural,asevidencedbythefactalmostallmammals(andeven
reptiles)displaysomesortofmasturbatorybehavior.Thereisalsoalotofevidencethatregular
masturbationinhumansisgenerallybeneficialtooverallhealth.Theproblemcomesnotwithmasturbation
overall,butthefrequency.Howmuchshouldyoumasturbate?Noonehasanyideawhatistheoptimal
level.Personally,Itrytohaveasmuchsexaspossible,andthenusemasturbationtosortoffillthe"gaps"
whenIamnothavingregularorenoughsex.WhenIdothat,itworkswell.Theproblemsforme(andI
haven'thadtheseproblemssinceIwasyounger)comewhenIspendsomuchtimemasturbatingthatIdon't
spendanytimehavingsex.Masturbationcaneasilybecomeasortofdrug,wherebyyoulearntosatisfy
yourselftotheextentthatyouloseinterestingoingoutanddoingwhattheactivityismeanttoimitate:Sex.
Thisisadeeprabbitholetogodown,andIcouldwriteabookonthisaloneIthink,solet'sleaveitatthis
takeaway:
Haveasmuchsexasyoucanhave(orwanttohave).Masturbationisfine,aslongasyoudonotuse
masturbationnotasareplacementforsex,butonlyasasupplementtoit.
7.EmotionAndThought
Thisisbyfarthehardestsectiontowriteinthebook,andIseriouslydebatedleavingitout.Herearethe
problems:
1.Thereisanentireseriesofbookspossiblejustaboutthesubjectofhowthoughtandemotionsimpact
hormonesandhealth.Infact,muchsmarterpeoplethanmehavewrittenmany,manybooksonthissubject
(somereferencedintheappendix).
2.It'shardtomeasureandquantifytheimpactofthoughtonhormonesformostpeople.It'sevenhardfor
scientistswhohaveMRI'sandctscans.
3.It'shardtooutlinespecificactionstotakewithoutgoingtoofarawayfromthetopicathand.
4.Thefieldisstilldeveloping,andthoughthereisalotofresearchonthissubject,thereisstillquiteabitto
bedone,andthingswillunquestionablychange.
5.Someofthesuggestionsevenonesthathavebeenempiricallyproventoworkquitefrankly,sound
totallyfuckingkooky.
Iultimatelydecidedtoputthissectionin,becauseoftworeasons:
1.Theknowledgeisverycounterintuitive,butthebenefitsaresubstantial:Sowhatistheknowledge?It's
prettycrazy:
Hormonesdon'tjustcausebehavior,hormonesFOLLOWbehavior.
Iknowright,thatsoundsnuts,doesn'tit?Itgoesagainstalmosteverythingyou'veeverreadandheardabout
hormones,especiallytestosterone.Butit'strue.Thoughsomeofthedetailsmaybefuzzy,thecore
evidenceisveryclear.It'snotevenacontroversialfindinganymoreinhormoneandbehaviorresearch.
IdecidedthatifIwasgoingtowritethebestpossiblebookabouttestosterone,Ihadtoatleastaddressthis
issueforpeople,andstartthemonthepathtounderstandingthis.Ihaveyettoseeanybookorarticle
abouttestosteroneevenunderstandthisbasicpoint.
Iwon'tspoutbullshitandsayyouabsolutelymustdothisinordertoseebenefits.Infact,Ikeptitoutofthe
mainpartofthebookandputitlasthereintheoptionalsection.Butmyguessisthatin510years,the
appliedsciencewillhavecaughtupandthiswillbeaprimarypartofagoodtestosteroneplan(orany
hormone).
2.Ifoundaneasywaytoapplythislesson:ThatwasthekeyformehowdoImakethisconcepteasyto
understandandeffectivetoexecute?IttookmequiteaawhilebutIeventuallystumbleduponaclearand
easywayforpeopletoreapthebenefitsofthisknowledge,withouthavingtomakeanycomplicatedor
difficultchanges.Myideamaynotbethebestpossible,butitiseffectiveanditdoeswork.Whatisthe
method?:
Usethesameposture,movements,actionsandselfassessmentasyourhero,andyou'llimitatehis
hormonelevels.
Basically,askyourself"WhatWould[YOURHERO]Do?,"andthendothat.
Ifyou'relaughingatthisrightnow,Idon'tblameyou.IlaughedatthiswhenIfirststartedreadingthe
research.I'mnotlaughinganymorebecauseit'sincrediblyeffective.
Thinkaboutwhoyourherois.Don'toverthinkthis,thedetailsarenotimportant.What'simportantishow
youseethem.Soforexample,ifyourheroisAlexanderTheGreat,thatcouldsparkahugedebatein
anothersituation,becausetheguywasanawfulnarcissisticmonster.Butforthisexercise,itworksfine,
becauseyou'reimagininghowyourconceptionofAlexanderTheGreat,whichisobviouslypositive,would
act.Therealityofwhohewasinhistoryisirrelevant.
So,imagineyou'regoingintoasituationthatusuallymakesyounervous.Let'ssayyou'regoingtoabar
withfriends,andtheywanttotalktogirls.HowwouldAlexanderTheGreatact?He'dstandtall,he'dbe
calm,he'dbeunafraidofanythingthatcouldhappen,he'sdrinkandenjoythecompanyofhisfriends,and
he'dgenerallythinkveryhighlyofhimself.Sodothat.Don'tthinkaboutwhatyoufeelatall.Thinkabout
whatAlexanderTheGreatwouldfeel,whathewoulddo,howhewouldact.Andthenimitatethat.
Theseactionsaloneregardlessofhowyoufeelaboutyourselfwillchangeyourhormoneprofile,whichwill
thenchangeyourbehavior.Itbasicallycreatesapositivehormoneloopthatgetsyoufeelingandactingthe
wayyouwant.Youractionscreatetheinternalbiologicalresponsethatthenreinforcesthoseactions.You
canthinkaboutthisas"fakeittillyoumakeit."It'ssortofthesameprinciple.
Thisseemsnuts,andtotallycounterintuitivetothewaymostpeoplethinkaboutbiology.Butitworks.There
isquiteabitmoreIcouldtalkaboutwithregardstowhyIthinkitworks,andthemechanismsinplay,but
theyarecomplicatedandtechnicalandwillbogyoudown.Here'swhatyoushouldtakeawayfromthis:
Youcanchangehowyoufeel,butfirstchangingyouractionstoreflecthowyouwanttofeel.And
thementalshortcuttogetthereistoimitatetheactions,postureandattitudeofthepersonwho
youmostwanttoemulateorbelike.
Research:
Thereisalotofdifferentresearchonthevariousaspectsofthis,butnoneofitisputtogetherintheform
thatIrecommend.Herearesomeofthepiecesthough:
Ifyoudon'twanttoreadorexaminescientificstudies,justwatchAmyCuddy'sfamousTEDtalkaboutthis
subject.It'sbasicandlacksalotofthings,butit'sagoodintro:
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html
Inonestudy,participantswereinstructedtoposeineitherahighpowerposture(shouldersback,relaxed,
takingupspace)oralowpowerposture(shouldersforward,tense,minimizingspace)fortwominutes.
ThoseinthehighpowergroupimmediatelydisplayedincreasedlevelsofTestosteroneanddecreasedlevels
ofcortisol,aswellasfeelingmorepowerfulandhavingahighertoleranceforrisk.Thelowpowergroup
displayedtheopposite.(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20855902)
Oneofthemainwaysthispowermanifestsitselfisthroughpoiseunderstress.RobertSapolsky,oneof
theleadingresearchersinthisfield,foundthatresponsetostresspredictedstatusamongbaboons.
HighpowerbaboonsrespondedwithanhourofincreasedTestosterone,whilelowpowerbaboons
Testosteronelevelsimmediatelyplummeted(http://press.endocrine.org/doi/abs/10.1210/endo11841630).
Stressfulsituationsareaparticularlyimportanttimetothink:Howwouldmyheroact?
Typicalmanlybehaviorsallfallintothisarea.Onestudyfoundthatmenwhoplayedwithagunfor15
minutesincreasedTestosteronelevelssubstantiallymorethanagroupwhoplayedwithachildstoy
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16866740).Thischangehadadirectimpactonbehavior,asthosewho
playedwiththegunwerewillingtodrinkahigherquantityofhotsaucethantheirtoyplayingcounterparts.
TestosteronedoesntonlycauseaggressionaggressionandTestosteronebothseemtocauseone
another.Itsacomplicatedrelationshipthatcantbesimplifiedthewayscientistswant.Moreinfofrom
Sapolsky:http://www.anapsid.org/hormones.html
WhyDidILearnSoMuchAboutTestosteroneThatIWroteABookAboutIt?
ThissectionisonlybackstoryonmeandwhyIwrotethisbook.Youcanskipitandmissnothing,butitis
prettyfunny.
WhyILearnedAboutTestosterone
Ifyouarefamiliarwithmybooks,Iamsurethefirstquestionwastheobviousone,WhythefuckisTucker
Maxwritingabouttestosterone?
Agoodquestion.Thefactis,IHADtolearnabouttestosterone,formyownhealth.
Ididsomethingverystupidandrecklessthatendedupdrasticallyreducingmynaturaltestosteronecount.I
foundnohelpfromtheestablishedmedicalcommunity,noranyotheralternativesources,soIendedup
learningandtestingallthebestmethodsfornaturallyincreasingtestosteronemyself,andfiguredoutwhat
actuallyworked.
WhatdidIdothatwassostupidandreckless?Ishotxraysacrossmyballs.Onpurpose.
Itwasincrediblystupid.Andreally,reallyfunny(seebelow).Ievenhaveitonvideo(seethatbelowtoo).
Predictably,thishadanegativeeffectonmyhealth.Iendedupfeelingawful,andIfiguredoutitwas
becauseradiationhasanegativeeffectontestosteronelevels.Minespecifically.
ThefirstdoctorIwenttoaboutmyproblemwasDr.Drew.Like,radio/TVfamousDr.Drew.Ontheair.Iwas
aguestonhisshow.Youcanguesshisreaction.Infact,youcanreadaboutitbelow.ThenIwenttoa
hormonedoctor,whichwasaneventitself.Ofcourse,shewasabsolutelynohelp,norwasanyoneelse
fromthemedicalestablishmentthatIhadcontactwith.
Ihadtofiguresomethingout,soItookituponmyselftolearnaboutthefieldandseewhatIcoulddotohelp
myownsituation.
Iendedupfiguringoutquiteabit,andrealizedthatmostoftheconventionalinformationabouttestosterone
iseitherdrivenbycrasscommercialintent,ortotalbullshit.ButthatswhyIlearnedsomuchabout
testosterone,NOTactuallywhyIwroteabookaboutit.Thisbookisaresultofsomethingelse,atotal
accidentactually.
WhyIWroteABookAboutTestosterone
Attheendofthelaststoryinthistragicallycomicalseries,Iwrotethisthrowawayline:
Icanhappilyreportthatmytestosteroneisnowbetterthanever,becausewiththehelpofafewverysmart
people(notdoctors),Ifiguredoutawaytofixitnaturallyusingmegadosingofcertainvitaminsandcertain
specificdietaryandlifestylechanges.Butthatisalong,longstory,anddefinitelynotonethatis
entertainingenoughtotellinthisbook.
Iwasgoingtocutthatfromthebook,becausequitehonestly,notonlyisinformationabouttestosteronenot
funny,butevenmementioningthatitsnotfunnyiswellnotfunny.Andthatwasthepointofmyprevious
books,tobefunny.Iendedupleavingitinbyaccident,forgettingtocutitoutbecauseofamistakeinthe
copyeditingprocess.
Loandbehold,thatinsignificantparagraphhasgeneratedatleast5000emailsfromguysaskingwhatIdid
thatworked.Orfromwomenaskingfortheirmen.
IpromisedallofthemthatIdwriteitupeventually,andnowhereweare.
Butitismorethanthatthough.IspentmyvaluabletimecompilingthisinformationbecauseIremember
whatitwaslikewhenIstarteddownthepathtolearningabouttestosteroneandhormones.AtfirstIwas
justconfusedtherewassomuchcontradictoryinformationfloatingoutthere.Butthatconfusionquickly
turnedtoangerwhenIfiguredouttheproblem:noonewastellingtheobjectivetruth,becausealmostallof
themhadeitherhiddenorexplicitagendas.
That'swhythisbookexists.Tosolvethatproblem:IwrotethebookIwishedhadexistedwhenI
startedthisjourney.Ihopeithelpsyouasmuchasithelpedme.
TheWhole,FunnyBackstoryOfHowMyTestosteroneGotFuckedUp
Thisisnotbyanymeansanintegralpartofthisbook,butIamincludingthestoriesIwroteinmyother
booksthatledtothisbookbelow,justincaseyouwanttoreadthem.Pleasefeelfreetoskipthis:
TheTuckerMaxSexRay
Occurred,August,2009
WhenthemoviebasedonmyfirstbookcameoutNils,acrewofassortedmiscreantsandIrodearoundthe
countryinahugetourbus,attendingpremieresinvariouscitiesandcausingallsortsofhavoc.Therewere
many,manyhilariousincidents,butoneincidentstoodabovetherest,anincidentthatwassoawesome
thatitshockedevenDr.Drew.
ItallstartedthenightofthepremiereinRaleigh,NorthCarolina.Iwassittingonthetourbus,exhausted
fromalongday,sippingabeerandtalkingtoJeffandNils.ThesetwogirlsIhadtalkedtoearliercameon
thebus,andtheywerepretty,buttobehonest,Iwasfairlyunenthusiasticaboutthem.Still,theyweregirls,
andtheywerethere,andtheywantedtofuck,soItriedtofindsomethingcompellingaboutthem:
TuckerSowhatdoyoudo?
GirlImanxraytech.
OK,thatisinteresting.Jeffhadhurthisshoulderthedaybeforebecauseinafitofrage,hetriedtouseitto
dentanelevatordoorandnowhethoughthemighthaveaseriousproblemwithit.
TuckerReally?Jeffhasabadshoulder.Canyougetitxrayeditforhim?
XrayTechOfcourse.Icanxrayanything.
TuckerWhencanwego?Tomorrowmorningmaybe?
XrayTechRightnow,ifyouwant.
XrayFriendShehasthekeystotheplace.
JeffandIperkuplikemeerkatsandsharedaconspiratorialglance.
TuckerYouhavekeys?Toanxrayclinic?How?
XrayTechIamtheheadtechthere,andthebosswantstofuckme,soheletsmedoanythingIwant.
TuckerSowecangoandgetanxray,rightnow?
XrayTechYep.
TuckerWhatelsecanyouxray?
XrayTechIcanxrayanythingyouwant.
TuckerSocanyougetanxrayofyouandmefucking?
XrayTechandherfriendflashtheirbest3amCinemaxgrins.
XrayTechIcandoyouonebetter.Icangetanxrayvideoofusfucking.
TuckerYoushutup!Thereisnosuchthingasxrayvideo!ThatsonlyinTotalRecall!
XrayFriendThereis.Wecangonow.
JeffandIleaptoourfeet,ItakeXrayTechbyherhand,Jeffgrabstheotherone,andwesprintfromthetour
busouttothevanandracetheclinic.
Oncethere,XrayTechunlocksthedoor,disarmsthealarm,andwegetsituatedinfrontofthexray
machine.Wequicklyfigureoutthatanxrayvideoofushavingsexwontworkitsprettymuchimpossible
toseethingsdistinctly,becauseitsjustamassofbones.Ihaveanotheridea:IputtheXrayTechonher
kneesandhaveherfellatemeinfrontofthexraymachine.IcanimmediatelyhearJeffandtheothergirl
crackuplaughing.
JeffThatsawesome,holyshit!
Heislaughingsomuch,Ialmostthinkhehastobeplayingitup.
JeffOK,thatsgoodyougotplentyofvideo,Iwanttogonow!!
Weswitchplaces,theygetinfrontofthexraymachineandstartgoing,andXrayTechturnsiton.
Iliterallyfellonthefloorlaughing.LegitimatelythehardestIveeverlaughedinmylife.Thevideoisthebest:
http://www.break.com/video/ugc/tuckermaxsexray1105865
IShockDr.Drew
Occurred,September2009
Thatsnotallthereistothisstory.IwentonLovelineafewweekslater,andIwasreallyexcitedaboutit
becauseIamahugeDr.Drewfan,andhavebeenforyears.Duringacommercial,weweretalkingabout
thingsthatshockhim,andhesaidthatafterbeingadoctorforlike25years,anddoingLovelineforover20,
nothingshockedhimanymore.SoIshowedhimtheSeXrayvideo.
Iwilltrytonotoverstatethis,butthereisnodoubt,Dr.Drewwasshocked.Hewaskindastammeringfora
second,andthenwecamebackontheair.Thisistheexacttranscriptfromthatpointforward:
Dr.DrewWerebackIwasjustexposedtoavideoof,Iguessoralsex
TuckerIknewthatwasgonnathrowyouforacurveballman.
Dr.DrewItsoralsexonaCinescope.
TuckerNono,onXrayvideo.
Dr.DrewYeahbutafluoroscope,itscalled.Thatsatonofxrayexposurebuddy,righttoyournuts.
TuckerShehadmetalhoopearringsontooDr.Drew!ItwasanxraytechwhoIhookedupwith,whoput
meinfrontofthatthing
Dr.DrewIssheoutofhermind?
NilsYes.
TuckerWellshesaiditwasalowerlevelofexposurethan
Dr.DrewItis,butitsstillawedoctorsareaverycautious
TuckerAndafter,adoctoremailedmeafterIpostedthis.Heslikeyoucannotsaywhodidthatbecause
theylllosetheirlicense.Likeitsabigdealorsomething.
Dr.DrewYeahitsabigdeal!Andespeciallyshootingacrossyourtestes.Imean,thatsfedup,Imsorry
butthatsnotacoolthing.
NilsShemightactuallygetanawardfromthenationalorganizationforwomen.
Dr.DrewIguaranteethatshewasasnarcissisticasyou,oradrugaddict,tobeabletowanttotakethat
kindofrisk.
TuckerShesanicelady!
Dr.DrewImjustsaying.
TuckerItsreallythatbad?
Dr.DrewIsitbad?Youknow,whenweusefluoroscopes,youputthemonforjustasecondandthentake
themoff,becauseitssuchahighlevelofradiation.Itscontinuousradiationexposure.Itsnotjustasingle
picture.
TuckerSoIcangowithoutacondomforacouplemonths?
Dr.Drew[glaresatme]
TuckerImjustkidding.Nobutitsnotpermanent,isitreally?
Nils(laughs)Itsnotpermanent.
Dr.DrewWell,riskoftesticularcancers,riskofallkindsofstuff.Thatswhytheywearthosebiglead
shieldswhentheyreworkingthere!
TuckerSoyouresayingthatskeletonpornsnotgoingtocatchon.
Dr.DrewIdontthinkso.WhattheyvedoneisMRIsandCTscansandthingslikethat.
TuckerButhaveyoueverseenxraypornlikethat?
Dr.DrewNo.
TuckerThebestpartisthatshehadhoopearringson,didyouseethat?
Dr.DrewYeahsothexraywasalsofiringintothoseandgoingallovertheplace.
NilsThatsthebestpart.Nottheinfertility.
Dr.DrewOhTucker.Thisisnotgood.Notgoodatall.
Illjustsayit:WhenyoucanshockDr.Drew,youvereallyaccomplishedsomething.Whetheritsgoodor
badorcausestesticularcancerisadifferentissuebutitsdefinitelysomething.
Tuckergoestodoctor,hilarityensues
Occurred,May2010
IwroteastoryinAssholesFinishFirstcalled"TheTuckerMaxSeXray"aboutgoingonLovelineand
shockingDr.Drewwithvideoofmegettingablowjobinarunningxraymachine.[Ifyoudidn'treadthat
story,justtype"TuckerMaxSexRay"intoGoogleandtheoriginalvideowillcomeup].Iwentbackon
LovelineinJanuary2010topromotethatbook,actually,andtheshowwentgreatasalways,becauseDr.
Drewisawesome.Duringoneofthebreaks,wetalkedagainabouttheSeXrayvideo,andheaskedmeifI
hadgottenacheckuplikeherecommendedduringmypreviousappearance.
Tucker"Whatdoyoumean?Likeseenadoctor?No."
Dr.Drew"Youreallyshould."
Tucker"Ihavefeltalittle,Idon'tknowlesslikemyselfrecently."
Nils"Yousoundlikeafuckingantidepressantad."
Dr.Drew"Youreallyshouldgetcheckedout.Shootingthatmuchradiationacrossyourballscanaffect
testosterone,whichwouldexplainthat."
Iignorethevastmajorityofwhatpeoplesaytome,bothgoodandbad,andIcan'trememberthelasttimeI
tookadvicefromsomeone.ButIrespectthehelloutofDr.Drew,evenmoresonowthatIkindaknowhimin
reallife.Whenhetellsmetodosomething,especiallysomethingmedical,Ipayattention.
Idon'treallytrustmostdoctorsthough,sowhenIgotbacktoAustin,Ifoundabloodtestingfacilityandgot
myownlabtestsdone.TheycamebackandconfirmedwhatDr.Drewhadsuspected:Ihadreallylow
testosterone.Itwasrightatthelowerboundofnormal,whichputitabouthalfofwhatIwasatthelasttimeI
gotfullbloodworkdone.Thisisnotgood.Iimmediatelyfoundahighlyrecommendedendocrinologist(a
doctorthatspecializesinhormones),andmadeanappointment.Shewassupposedtobe"thebest"in
centralTexas.
It'sfunnywhendoctorsareconsidered"thebest"itusuallymeansoneoftwothings:Theyreallyare
awesome,ortheyareallhypeandreallyfuckingsuck.Itbecameimmediatelyclearwhichonethiswas.
Thedoctorcameintotheexamroomanhourlate.Shewasaboutmidforties,definitelypretty,butina
severeway.Shecarriedherselfwithanairthatimmediatelysaid,"Iamsuchadelicategenius,you'relucky
tobeinmypresence."Thatwasthefirstbadsign.ShestartedoffbyrecappingwhatI'dtoldherreceptionist
whenImadetheappointment.
DoctorUppity"So,itsayshereyouthinkyouhavelowtestosterone?"
Tucker"Yeah,wellIhavebeenfeelingkindasluggishandtiredand,it'shardtodescribe,butjustnotmyself
recently.LikeIamastepbehindwhoInormallyam.I'mprettysuremylowtestosteroneisthecause."
DoctorUppity"Well,wedon'tactuallyknowifyouhavelowtestosterone,we'llhavetorunsometests,and
then"
Tucker"Ohno,Ido.Ialreadydidthem."
Ihandedhermybloodtestresults,aswellassomefromtwoyearsagothatshowedabaselineforme.I
thoughtshe'dbeexcitedaboutthis,thatapatienthadtakenaninterestinhishealthanddonesomeofher
workforher.
DoctorUppity"YouALREADYdidbloodtests?How?Where?"
Shewasntaskingmebecauseshewasconfused.Shewasaskingme,incredulous,likeshewasmadat
me.
Tucker"AtaplacecalledAnyLabTestNow.Theydrawyourbloodandsenditoffforteststothesamelabs
thedoctorsdo.Herearetheresults."
Shesnatchedthepapersfrommyhandandstartedriflingthroughthem,asiftheywerescientificpoison.
NowIknowwhatGalileofeltlike.Shestartedlecturingmeaboutpatientsthinkingtheyknowbetterthan
doctors,andabouthowIwasn'tqualifiedtoreadandinterprettheresultseventhoughthesearetheexact
sameresultsthatgetsenttodoctors.Her"IamthesoleexpertherebecauseIgavetheUniversityofTexas
$130kand4yearsofmylife"attitudewasaREALLYbadsign.Expertswhothinktheyholdamonopolyon
knowledgewithintheirsubjectorfieldarenotonlyusuallybadattheirjob,theycanbedangerous(e.g.,the
causeofthe2008financialcrash).Icouldtalkforhoursaboutwhythisisthecase,butyouprobablydon't
care,becauseit'snotfunny(ifyoudocare,goread"TheBlackSwan"byNassimTaleb).
DoctorUppity"Whydidyoudothis?"
Tucker"Dowhat?"
DoctorUppity"Getyourownbloodtestsdone?"
Tucker"HowelseamIgoingtoseeifthere'saproblem?
DoctorUppity"Well,youcancometothedoctorfirst,likeeveryoneelse."
Iprobablyshouldhavejustwalkedoutatthatpoint.Thiswomanwasobviouslyafuckingdisaster.ButI
didn't.Iwasdesperatetofixmyballs.
Tucker"Ikindadid.I'mherebecauseDr.Drewtoldmetocome."
DoctorUppity"Dr.Drew?"
Tucker"Youknow,fromLovelineandCelebrityRehab,and"
DoctorUppity"Oh,IKNOWwhoDr.Drewis.Whatdoeshehavetodowithwhyyou'rehere?"
Tucker"Well,whenIwasonhisshow"
DoctorUppity"YoucalledintoLovelineformedicaladvice?
Hertonewasaboutascondescendingandrudeasitcouldgetforaserviceproviderspeakingtoapaying
client.Shemayhavebeenquestioningmyintelligenceforcallingintoaradioshowformedicaladvice,which
IguessIcanunderstand.Butinthemoment,ItookitlikeshewasquestioningDr.Drew'scredibilityasa
doctor.Thatwasbasicallythetippingpointforme.Iturnedcombativeandsarcastic.
Tucker"No,Ididnot.Iwasaguestontheshow."
DoctorUppity"YouwereaguestonLoveline?"
Tucker"Yes,andwhenItoldDr.Drewwhathappenedtome,hetoldmetogetcheckedout."
DoctorUppity"Whathappened?"
Tucker"Well,Igotablowjobinfrontofanxraymachine."
DoctorUppity"You'rekiddingright?"
Tucker"Ithinkifyousawthevideo,itwillcleareverythingup."
DoctorUppity"Thevideo?"
Therewasn'tacomputerintheexamroom,soIwalkedouttothereceptionarea.Thisofficehadmultiple
doctorsinit,sotherewasnotjustasoloreceptionistsittingatthefrontdesk.,Therewasalsoahandfulof
nursesandtechsmillingaround.Beforethedoctorcouldreallyfigureoutwhatwasgoingon,Igotinfrontof
thecomputer,typed"TuckerMaxSexRay"intoGoogle,andclickedonthevideo.
Ihadn'twatchedthisvideoinalongtime,andI'dforgottenthatithadmusictoit.Infact,ifyouareata
computer,gobringupthevideoandmakesurethesoundison.Well,thatcomputerhadthesoundontoo.
Loud.Whichmadeeverythingevenmoreawesome.
DoctorUppity"Isthat...areyou...ohmygod..."
Nowit'stimeforthetablestoturnonthisdoctor.Thesoundtothevideo,combinedwithherreaction,pretty
muchensuredeveryoneintheofficecameovertoseewhatwasgoingon.Andofcourse,Iamneveroneto
notplaytoacrowd.
Tucker"ThevideoisexactlywhatItoldyouitwasmegettingablowjobinfrontofanxraymachine."
DoctorUppity"WHYWOULDYOUDOTHAT?DOYOUHAVEANYIDEAHOWDANGEROUSTHATIS??"
Tucker"Well,Iwantedtoinventanewgenreofporn."
DoctorUppity"Youwantedtoinventanewgenreofporn???"
Atthispoint,thewholethingturnedintoafuckingAbbottandCostello"Who'sonfirst"routine.
DoctorUppity"WHOAREYOU??"
Tucker"TuckerMax."
Receptionist"You'reTuckerMax?Really?"
Nurse"Hey,Ireadyourbook.You'rethatbuttsexguy!You'resofunny!"
DoctorUppity"Youknowwhoheis?"
Receptionist"Ofcourse,he'slike,famousorsomething.Right?"
Tucker"AreyouaskingmeifI'mfamous?"
DoctorUppity"You'refamous?Forblowjobvideos?"
Tech"I'veseenthat.Irememberwhenthatvideocameout.Heyyou'reTuckerMax!"
Tucker"Hi,nicetomeetyou."
DoctorUppity"Istilldon'tunderstandhowyouevendidthis.Usingafloroscopelikethisishighlyillegal."
Tucker"Well,itwasthexraytechwhowastheonegivingmetheblowjob."
Tech"Yeah,Ireadthatinyourbook.Thatwashilarious."
DoctorUppity"Thisisinabook?Youwroteabook?"
Nurse"Yeah,Ireadit.Itwasfunny.Thiswasn'tinthebookthough,wasit?"
Tech"Yeah,itwasinhissecondbook."
Nurse"Youhavetwobooks?!?HowdidImissthat?What'sitcalled?"
Tucker"AssholesFinishFirst."
Receptionist"Theysuredo."
Nurse"Ohmygod,Ihavetogogetacopy!"
Tech"Yo,canIgetapicturewithyou?Myfriendisnevergoingtobelievethis.You'rehishero."
Tucker"Ofcourse."
Ittookliketenminutestogetbackontrackafterthat.Ihadtobacktrackandexplaineverythingagaintothe
doctor,whowasinsuchshockshealmostcouldn'tprocessit.Imean,inherdefensethisvideoshocked
Dr.Drew,soherbeingreallyfuckedupoveritisunderstandable.
Thereisn'tmuchelsetotalkaboutforthisstory,atleastanythingelsethat'sfunny.Hermedicaladvicewas
formetogoonhormonetherapy.WhatafuckingquackI'mahealthy35yearold,I'mnottakingsynthetic
hormonesfortherestofmylife.Ineverwentbacktoher.
Icanhappilyreportthatmytestosteroneisnowbetterthanever,becausewiththehelpofafewverysmart
people(notdoctors),Ifiguredoutawaytofixitnaturallyusingmegadosingofcertainvitaminsandcertain
specificdietaryandlifestylechanges.Butthatisalong,longstory,anddefinitelynotonethatis
entertainingenoughtotellinthisbook.
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