At a Glance:
- Tracking: Fitbit, MacroFactor, food scale
- Training: Weider Pro Gym, exercise bands, yoga mat, wrist straps
- Pre-workout: Ghost or 1st Phorm energy drink, citrulline, Liquid IV peach mixed into Crystal Light sweet tea, glycerol (sometimes)
- Protein/nutrition: Barebells bars, protein powder (flavor over brand loyalty — I’ve tried them all)
- Sleep/calm: Magnesium glycinate, L-theanine
- As-needed: Semax/Selank for high-anxiety days
- Body composition: Retatrutide has become a favorite
- Dropped: Creatine — did nothing for me, so it’s gone
Full breakdown below.
People ask me constantly what I “take” or what gear is actually worth having. So instead of another generic list of Amazon links, here’s exactly what’s in my routine right now, why it’s there, and what I dropped along the way.
Tracking: Know What You’re Actually Doing
I run a Fitbit for steps, heart rate, and sleep data, and I log everything I eat in MacroFactor. I’m not a fan of rigid meal plans — MacroFactor adjusts your targets based on your actual trend data instead of a fixed number you set once and ignore. I am not an affiliate of MacroFactor, and to be honest I’m not a huge fan of the creators of the app, but I recognize it’s a quality product and I actually like using it — I’ve used it every day for almost two years now. Pair that with a food scale and you get honest numbers instead of guesswork. Most people who think they’re “eating clean but not losing weight” have a portion problem, not a metabolism problem. The scale fixes that in about a week.
I also use wrist straps during heavier lifts — nothing fancy, they just let my grip stop being the limiting factor before my back or legs are. Just find yourself a pair online — Amazon, Walmart, wherever — and start using them. But remember, grip strength is important, so don’t depend on these too heavily. I only use them when absolutely necessary.
Home Gym: You Don’t Need a Commercial Setup
I’ve got a Weider Pro Gym (total-gym style machine) at home, and honestly, it’s underrated. People assume you need a garage full of iron to make progress, but a cable-based home gym like this covers most of what you need for full-body resistance work in a small footprint. If you’re creative with your workouts and movement patterns, a product like this can be incredibly helpful. I’ve performed movements for every single body part on it, and it can be quite effective. I round it out with a yoga mat and exercise bands for mobility work and lighter accessory movements.
My Pre-Workout Stack
This is the part people ask about most, so here’s the exact stack:
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| Ghost Energy or 1st Phorm energy drink | Caffeine + focus |
| Citrulline | Pump, blood flow |
| Liquid IV (sugar-free peach) mixed into Crystal Light sweet tea | Hydration, electrolytes, and it actually tastes good |
| Glycerol (sometimes) | Extra fluid retention/pump on harder training days |
I know a pre-mixed energy drink plus separate citrulline isn’t the “optimized” stack a supplement influencer would build from scratch. It’s the one I’ll actually drink consistently, which matters more than theoretical optimization. I’m sure I’ll get criticized for all that, but hey, this is what I like doing and it’s been working for me. I get a lot of liquid in prior to my workout, which helps with hydration, and to be honest, I like the taste of a lot of the Ghost and 1st Phorm products.
What I dropped: Creatine. This is probably the most common supplement recommendation in fitness content, and I used to take it. For decades I’ve taken this stuff on and off, and it has done absolutely nothing for me — no strength change, no volume change, nothing I could point to. I tried low doses, high doses, monohydrate, hydrochloride, tablets, powders — all of it. I’m not saying it doesn’t work for anyone; the research on it is solid. I’m saying it didn’t do anything for me, and I’d rather tell you that honestly than keep taking something out of habit because it’s supposed to work.
Protein and Nutrition
I eat Barebells protein bars regularly, and I rotate through protein powder — at this point I’ve tried most of the major brands and flavors. My honest take: quality and taste preference should drive your decision, not marketing. If you hate the way it tastes, you won’t drink it consistently, and consistency is the whole game.
Sleep and Nervous System Regulation
At bedtime, it’s magnesium glycinate and L-theanine — both are well-supported for relaxation without knocking you out or leaving you groggy the next morning. Just follow the recommended guidelines for dosing on these. I personally like to take theanine in higher doses, and I’ll sometimes pair it with caffeine. If I’m out of the peptides mentioned below, I’ll crank up the theanine dose to hopefully offset some of the increased heart rate and anxiety — I believe it helps.
For high-anxiety situations specifically, I use Semax and Selank. These aren’t mainstream supplements, so I’ll be straightforward: they’re peptides used off-label for cognitive and anxiety support, the research is still developing, and they’re not something to jump into without doing your own homework first. I use them situationally — I haven’t used them consistently or long-term. Dosages vary person to person; my approach has been to start lower than I think I need and adjust from there. Some of the literature suggests there’s a point of diminishing returns as dosage increases, so that’s worth keeping in mind.
Body Composition: Retatrutide
This one’s become a favorite, so I’d be leaving out something important if I skipped it. Retatrutide is a triple-agonist peptide (GLP-1/GIP/glucagon) currently in clinical trials for weight management — it’s not yet FDA-approved, which means it’s not something I’m going to hand out dosing advice on here. If you’re curious about it, do your own research, talk to a doctor familiar with peptide therapy, and go in with eyes open about the fact that long-term safety data is still being collected. I wrote a separate article about this peptide on the site if you’d like to know more.
The Bottom Line
None of this is a “perfect” and that’s kind of the point. It’s what I’ve landed on through years of trial, error, and paying attention to what actually moves the needle versus what just sounds good on paper. Creatine is a perfect example — objectively one of the most proven supplements out there, and I still cut it because it wasn’t doing anything for my body.
Your preferences may look different from mine. But the process should be the same: try things, track what happens, keep what works, and don’t be afraid to drop something popular if it’s not earning its place.
Disclaimer: This post reflects my personal experience and is for informational purposes only — it is not medical advice. I’m not a doctor, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to use any supplement, peptide, or medication, especially compounds like Semax, Selank, or retatrutide that are not FDA-approved for general use and carry their own risks and unknowns. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new supplement, peptide, or training program, particularly if you have an existing health condition, take medication, or are pregnant or nursing. What worked for me may not work — or may not be safe — for you.