Kurse's Journey to 200% Peak Human Performance

Hello all! I will first give some background about my life and where I am now.

I have always been relatively active since I am a competitive Target archer winning a few competitions. *applause*. My diet would consist of Chicken, Fruit, Veg and rice for about 5 out of the 7 days a week. I am low Body-fat but also not bulky, A sort of lean-skinny type with wide shoulders.

Monday 7th November 2022

Now let’s begin. I first took finasteride 1mg on Monday 7th November 2022, at 13:46 pm (I logged it). I felt instant relief as soon as I took it. I thought to myself “I’ve finally stopped my hair loss!” and had a mini celebration with my housemates for 30 minutes after I took it…

2 hours after my first dose of finasteride I tried to masturbate since I was a “horny freak” and I could get it up, although much slower than before which spooked me a little bit so I assumed it was a nocebo effect since everything else was fine. Here is where it goes downhill. Tuesday morning rolls around and I experience things I have never experienced before… These include:

Impotence
Loss of sensitivity in the tip of the Penis
No Libido
Insomnia (1-3 hours of sleep)
Testicular Atrophy or I suppose a shrivelled and less full look and more retracted.
Penis was hard when soft. Almost like I was erect but in flaccid size. (This one really confused me because I have not heard this before)
Fatigue (Probably due to Insomnia)
Brain Fog (had the worst short-term memory loss I’d ever heard of)

Fast Forward… Monday 21st November 2022

Able to get an erection if watching porn or touching myself for an extended period. libido is almost non-existent also it’s a little bit harder to maintain an erection. The penis is still moderately numb but not cold to the touch. The refractory period is slower than before and at about 30% baseline.

Fast Forward… Friday 2nd December 2022

the erection wouldn’t always be able to stay at 100% hardness and would go from 70-100% but could maintain. After ejaculating pre-fin I would keep an erection for about 5 minutes but after fin, I seem to lose it about 1 minute after ejaculating. Morning wood is rare but happens still and I don’t have a decent rigidity in my flaccid penis (very floppy like it’s hollow). Still have horrible Insomnia and Fatigue.

The Regimen I was taking PRE-FIN which is not the way to go according to TMO so will be cutting it out and cycling herbs.

Test booster containing:
Vit D3 - 25μg
Vit B6 - 10mg
Zinc - 20mg
Selenium - 100μg
Tribulus Terrestris - 10,000mg
Ginger Root - 2500mg
Maca Root - 1,500mg
D-Aspartic Acid - 960mg
Ashwagandha Root - 500mg
Fenugreek Seed - 500mg
Caffeine Anhydrous - 80mg
Black Pepper Extract - 5mg

Omega-3 Fish Oils - 2000mg (600mg EPA, 400mg DHA)

Before GYM:
BCAA’s - 1000mg
L-Leucine 500mg
L-Isoleucine 250mg
L-Valine 250mg
Beta Alanine - 1000mg

Improvements I am Looking to make:

I want to begin a Fast or Juice Feast however, I am already fairly light so I don’t want to lose a serious amount of weight in calories since it could send me to the hospital. Still doing research on the TMO page though so I am still trying to figure out the plan!

Herb Changes:
I need to cycle herbs and not take them in bulk so I am tossing the T-Booster and looking to add Pine Pollen since many people have said it helps a lot. Royal Jelly and Tongkat Ali seem to work for most so I will also be adding those and the rest of the herbs recommended provided I can find them in the UK.

I was taking Melatonin before bed for insomnia but stopped due to it having Aromatase inhibiting properties which would make things worse.

Dietary Changes
Currently adapting my diet to fit the Paleo Diet and adding fish into my weekly meal plan. Adding veggies to my lunchtime meals.

I am also studying Carb Backloading and how it helps. Along with a Mass Gainer with some creatine, however, I may not do this since It can upset the stomach.

GYM + Training
Adding in a HIIT session during gym training and going more consistently. Looking into lifting heavier.

Brain / Sleep / Wellbeing
I began breathing exercises for 15 mins in the evening and attempted meditation although I am not great at it so far.

I am also going to attempt a 5-minute cold shower a couple of hours before bed and shut off all blue-light devices 1 hour before sleep. Also looking into L-Theanine. I have also looked into Magnesium 30 minutes before sleeping seems beneficial, I will have to test it.

No more alcohol!

Sexual
I am going to try and do no-fap for 1 week periods and develop it into 2 weeks etc. It’s a marathon not s sprint. Since I know that Testosterone seems to spike up to the 1 week period of no-fap from anecdotal studies and some input from MorePlatesMoreDates.

Will start going to the GYM 3x per week (Push-Pull-Legs) split and a HIIT session with sprinting 2x per week.
And still do archery for 3x per week 2-hour sessions pulling/holding 42lbs * 6 arrows every 3 minutes or so.


Things I don’t want to try just yet:

Pro-hormones - This is sort of a last-resort approach for me. I don’t want to mess with hormones any more than I already have.

Sunning - I live in the UK, and the sunlight is a rarity which is why I supplement Vitamin D. Also sunning my “boys” is impossible since I live in a residential place where neighbours would have a lovely view.

Fasting - I am a lightweight individual with lean mass. Fasting might cause me to become lightheaded and non-functional should we say although I am not completely opposed to Juice Feasting but will need to invest in a blender and some research.


I am able to keep normal composure for most of my day especially after reading SwoleSource and being advised to stay away from Propecia Help or Tressless >:( fucking silly Redditors! It was the biggest lifesaver in terms of anxiety.

I believe 100% this is a way out and I believe it’s a journey that could last anywhere from 1-5 years but I am prepared! It’s almost like life is forcing me to get my life in gear and not be so lazy and silly with drugs and vanity.

That’s all I have to say. I will try and keep everyone updated monthly for Upswings/Downswings and progress.

Copper, Master Mal, Chi, and English all had wonderful recovery stories. Helps me stay positive :)

Also, I am still reading and preparing TMO plans because I don’t want to get them wrong so any help would be appreciated!

Thanks All,
Kurse

Welcome mate. Wishing you a speedy recovery and hopefully the support this forum can offer.

Welcome man. Just stick to the script and keep at it and this will all be over before you know it!

Hey, welcome to the board!

I would avoid the “test booster” supplement, fenugreek isn’t on the list for example, so it’s best to get the individual herbs and cycle them daily. (Go down the list with one herb each day, in the same order.)

I would very strongly recommend doing the fast rather than the juice feast. It was actually easier for me to do the water fast, because you’re just drinking water and after about day 5, I stopped feeling hungry. I went for 21 days and would have done 30 days if I didn’t have a friend’s wedding that I needed to attend.

As for the idea of not wanting to lose too much weight since you’re not fat, almost everyone has a lot more body fat than they realize. If you told me you’re 5’10’ and weigh 7 stone — fair enough, you’re skeletal. If you weigh 10 or 11 stone, you can easily lose half a stone without endangering your health. Or a full stone by going for two weeks. You can always regain the lost fat if you want.

What I didn’t realize about going the juice route is that it is extremely annoying to have to drink 4 liters of extremely sweet juice every day. It made my teeth feel awful. Also orange juice was the only remotely filling juice, which meant that I was ravenously hungry the entire time, but all I had was juice and water. You also fill up your entire fridge with fruits and vegetables, only to find that it’s 1 - 2 days worth of juices at most. So you’re going to be shopping for groceries almost daily.

CD recommends using a blender and a nut milk bag to make juice, and I believe he said it took an hour or two every morning. When I tried it, it was profoundly messy and I felt like the juice yield was insufficient, and it made a mess every time. Personally I hated that method, and a Breville juicer ended up being a better option for me. You just put the fruit and veggies in and juice comes out, then you disassemble and clean it which takes 1 - 2 minutes. So much easier than the nut milk bag (in my opinion,) but a high-quality juicer can cost >$250 and you might not use it much afterwards. It also takes up a lot of countertop space.

So with all that in mind, I’d definitely recommend doing the water fast route, unless you’re basically anorexic, or you have a very strenuous physical job like a construction worker, or if you work at an Amazon warehouse where the slowest 10% get fired every month and you can’t afford to lose the job. The water fast gives better results and could lead to faster healing.

I would be careful with the Mass Gainer and probably set it aside until after you’re recovered. Most of those products are filled with fillers and chemicals, which is not what your body needs in this state. CD has a recommended protein powder if you want to go that route.

If you need help putting on size, the key is to eat more meals. Never skip breakfast, have a post workout shake, have lunch, have an early dinner right after work, and have another meal before bed. If you’re awake about 16 hours per day, you will have time to digest at least 5 meals if you time it properly — but start with 4 meals and that may be enough. You don’t want to pile on tons of fat by going too far in the other direction.

Continued…

With the cold showers, I would take it a little bit easy at first. 5 minutes isn’t harmful but it’s a lot harder to do, and the most benefits come with the first 2 minutes. Wim Hof says that 2 minutes is enough and everything beyond that is just for mental benefits. Make sure to do a Wim Hof breathing round and do not turn the water to cold until the retention breath. If you do this, it’s not very bad at all.

Search Wim Hof Guided Breathing on YouTube for a guided breathing session video. I do it twice per day.

One other thing is that the TMO website has a “quick start” page that pretty much sums up the entire protocol and lays out what a day of the protocol looks like. So that’s, IMO, the main document and the rest of the website is for the finer details.

Stick to the protocol very tightly, to get out of here faster. I took gaps because of the pandemic and was also missing elements and that’s why I’m here and not recovered yet, so don’t make that mistake.

Welcome Kurse -

You sound like you got a good mindset on you which is half of this battle, your going to get through this!!

Use the board as reference and don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us with help or a supporting hand!

-Alt

you ra every brave to woithstand that insomnia

I had "mild" pfs for years and when I gpt slight insomnia medicated on quetipaine which has basoically made me worst case pfs with severew muscle wastage, insomnia, suicidal ideation etc

you seem to have avoided the worst stuff so keep doing wht you are doing

Hey, all I want to thank you for the welcome, Tips and Suggestions I really appreciate the help!

I have just reached a point where I can begin the water fast I am planning 7 days and will only continue to 14 days if I feel up to it and with supervision (I live with a Med Student).
I am 170cm and 56KG which I believe is a safe weight but please let me know if I am too light.

Herbs/Supplements that I have bought so far include:

L-Theanine, Ashwaganda, Maca, Pine Pollen, Goji Berry, Royal Jelly, Iodine, Tribulus, Suma Root, Magnesium and Cordyceps

Other:
Vitamin D
Organic Whey Protein

I have looked for the others but they seem difficult to source in the UK.

I have also reduced my cold showers to 2 minutes with wim-hof breath work alongside the Skin Brushing, This is done 5x per week.

I have also changed my diet around to fit into the Paleo Diet including some Dairy such as Yogurt, Butter and Cheese.

The gym has been good. I have been taking it slowly since I don't want to injure myself mainly light weight in the Push/Pull/Legs Routine with short ab circuits.

Also, my Fatigue has slightly improved. I am able to get around 5 hours by taking steps such as;
Working out Earlier,
Turning off all screens 1 hour before bed,
Taking Magnesium 30 minutes before bed,
I also bought a weighted blanket which seems to have a calming effect, similar to that if I had a partner. It's a little bit sad but I would recommend it if you don't have a partner.

I am also considering getting a bathmate since I have heard that it can prevent penile shrinkage due to lack of erections, will be looking at buying one soon but am just a little embarrassed because I know it's seen as a sex toy and I live with other students so I wouldn't want them seeing it.

I won't go into other symptoms since you all know the answer to that thanks again for keeping me positive!

Hi Kurse,

I’m really glad to hear that you’re doing the water fast! You will lose about 500 grams of fat each day during a fast, but if you try exercising, you will lose more muscle. Right now you’re at the low end of a “normal” BMI (18.5 to 24.9), and 1 week would put you around the borderline of being underweight (which is okay if you’re just barely underweight.)

Doing a second week would put you around a BMI of 17.3 (50 kg.) At 13.5 (39 kg) BMI organ damage starts happening, and somewhere around 12 (35 kg) you’d literally starve to death. Soooo… you don’t want to get into the mid-40 kgs even though it shouldn’t cause any long term issues. I’d say that 2 weeks would be the most to consider, definitely do not do 21 days like I did. Or you could do 10 days, or stop when you dip below 50 kg.

For the herbs; L-theanine and magnesium aren’t on CDs’ list so I would probably not put those in the rotation. Magnesium is listed as a sleep supplement to take at night if you think you’re going to have trouble getting to sleep. (In my experience it also causes explosive dirrhea, so just a heads-up on that. I’m not saying don’t take it, but be prepared to need to RUSH to the bathroom multiple times the next morning if you do take it.)

For the workouts, one great resource is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding. There’s some irrelevant info (history of bodybuilding) but he shows photos of different exercises for the different muscle groups, and gives you advice on how to do them. This is really important so that you don’t hurt yourself by doing the wrong exercises or doing them the wrong way. He also explains the fundamentals of bodybuilding, like the critical concept of progressive resistance and the need for sufficient calories.

There are four muscle groups: chest, shoulders, legs, and back. One strategy (not the ideal strategy for professional bodybuilding, but good enough for our purposes) is to focus on one of those muscle groups during each workout. If you’re doing 3 sets of chest, 3 sets of legs, etc, in the same gym session you’re not getting enough of a workload on any one muscle group to make great progress. Some people swear by full body workouts (all 4 muscle groups in one session,) to do it properly (at least 12 sets per muscle group) you’re looking at some multi-hour gym sessions 3 to 4 days per week. If you focus on one muscle group per workout, you can bring maximum intensity to it, and it should only take about 45 minutes (with 2 minute rests in between sets.)

Arnold recommends bringing a notepad into the gym with you, and keeping track of what exercises, weights, reps, etc you’re doing, so that you can check to see that you’re increasing the workload over time. You don’t want to settle into a routine where you do the exact same workout (same weights, etc) every time, or else you will stop making progress. As you get bigger and stronger, you will need to slowly increase the weights you lift.

I used Arnold’s book to identify exercises for each muscle group that I wanted to do, and that helped me put together a workout routine for each muscle group. You could do 1 or 2 sessions with a personal trainer to have them teach you the exercises that you want to do.

Working out your abs can help you get “six pack abs” which could be nice to have. Arnold recommends doing an ab workout after working out whatever muscle group you’re working on. In other words, there’s no “ab day,” and you don’t have to give your abs X days of rest in between working them out. The abs are small muscles so it’s okay and best to work them out more frequently if you want to get visible abs.

continued…

Another weightlifting instruction book, not as comprehensive as Arnold’s, is “Starting Strength” by Rippletoe. It illustrates how certain exercises are done, so it’s good for that. It’s considered one of the classic books in the world of weightlifting.

The weighted blanket is a good thing as well. It helps promote sleep and it feels like the blanket is hugging you.

Be careful to follow the proper instructions with the Bathmate, that’s extremely important.

Anyway, it sounds like you’re on the right track and I hope I was able to offer you some helpful tips. You got this!