I get asked a lot, “Hey Phil, can’t I just take supplements? I saw this commercial for a pill that promises the same results you’re claiming TRT will give me.” Or people see a workout that promises high T in just a few months.

I like this line of questioning. Why get injections if you don’t need them? It’s not stupid to ask questions. I’d rather work with men who do their due diligence and look at their options.

So let’s take a hard look at all of your options and let you decide for yourself what works best for your goals.

Supplements That Boost Testosterone?

You’re watching sports late at night and a commercial comes on with a gray-haired jacked dude. He’s got some younger woman in a bikini hanging on his arm and he tells you he’s been taking these new pills that make him feel “like a new man.” And you’ve seen those ads on Facebook with former athletes about workouts, diets, and supplements that increase your T.

Man, I wish it was as easy as taking one pill. If supplements delivered on their promises, we wouldn’t need testosterone injections at all. The truth about those pills is that they do work, but only about 5%. That’s the average boost you can expect. Now, if your testosterone is rock bottom and you feel about as manly as a toddler in a pink dress, even 5% might feel amazing. But is 5% really all you need?

Imagine if your car was running down and the motor barely worked. You can’t buy a new car, this is the only one you’ve got. If someone told you they could fix it 5% or 100%, which would you choose?

“No thanks, just tune it up 5% so it keeps barely working.”

That doesn’t sound right, does it? And if you wouldn’t do that car, why do that to your body?

I wish “increase your T, feel like a new man” supplement ads were illegal. They bother me. Men want to feel better, and they trust those ads. They end up paying $60-70/month for pills that hardly work.

I regularly have hormonal consults with guys who have been on herbs like tribulus for months and are in the 300s T level. My protocol costs $325 for ten weeks. At $60 per month for a year, those pills cost you $600. Almost double my cost, just to feel 5% better instead of 100% better.

When you work with me, you’re saving money, feeling 100% better, and actually fixing the problem for life. You’re not putting a bandaid on the battleship, or asking the car mechanic to just fix your vehicle 5% for double the cost.

High-T Workouts?

You’ve probably seen the fitness gurus on social media telling you to workout and boost your T levels.

Is it as easy as just doing your deadlifts? No. I call bullshit on “life weights, build muscle, boost T.”

Yes, your body runs better metabolically when you have higher muscle. But if you’ve got low T, how are you going to build that muscle? Where are you going to find the drive to lift every single day? How are you going to power through a workout routine if your body is crapping out on you because it just doesn’t have what it needs?

Testosterone-Boosting Diet?

Eating three ribeyes and a dozen eggs does not help. Keto and carnivore are two of the worst diets for T levels. Check the actual science before you listen to the people who tell you to eat like a tiger, unless you are an actual tiger. If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re not a tiger. That means you’re a human, an omnivore. You need carbs, starches, vegetables, fruits, and a range of foods.

Yes, proteins are the bricks for muscles. Carbs and veggies hold the bricks together. Even vegans can get higher T levels because they get carbs, which keto guys don’t. Your body needs glucose to build testosterone.

Have you not heard that one before? Don’t take my word for it. Listen to Lauren DeLuca, Tier X coach and certified sports nutrition specialist at Gold Coast in Chicago in this article.

“Your body needs glucose to release the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), a precursor to testosterone, DeLuca says. “It’s an anabolic hormone, meaning it increases muscle and bone strength and size,” she says. When carb intake (and thus, glucose levels) are low, testosterone levels drop, too. In turn, you could lose strength and fatigue more quickly—just one more reason carbs are essential for fitness.”

And we’ve known about this effect since 2001. Here’s a range of research and experiments on the topic.

Or check out this quote from another research paper:

In addition to the negative effect of reduced glucose, increased glucose may positively influence GnRH/LH secretion. Goats provided with dietary supplementation exhibited parallel increases in serum glucose levels and LH pulse frequency, whereas pulses declined as food availability, and thus glucose, was reduced29. These studies provide a strong case that glucose can act as a signaling molecule in the brain to both positively and negatively modulate reproductive function.

Some of these carnivore guys don’t even give their bodies the absolute basics they need. That’s just not good. They’re even worse behind the scenes. I met one in Las Vegas and mentioned I have my clients get big because they eat carbs. This carnivore trainer told me he doesn’t even drink water anymore or eat food but every two to four days.

I may not be a Twitter guru but that sounds like a recipe for disaster. And what normal person can follow such a crazy routine, anyway?

Fasting for Testosterone?

Fasting makes you skinny fat because it reduces your muscle along with the fat. You want to explain how draining your muscle boosts testosterone? That’s the opposite of testosterone.

Bottom Line . . .

Everyone on social media is all saying the same thing about diets, fasting, supplements, etc. And they’re making these claims without evidence.

Leave the echo chamber. You need protein, fats, and carbs. Not just one or the other. It’s normal for humans to eat a range of healthy foods. That’s not why your T is down.

Low T is a completely treatable disease. People suffer needlessly and spend years miserable. Then they spend a fortune on supplements and trends that barely get them a 5% boost. Don’t do that to yourself.

Get optimized, and you win. Skip the snake oil. Dot your i’s and up your T.  Schedule your hormone consultation with me and start feeling better fast.