Indoor cycling can be an effective, low-impact way to get your daily dose of cardio, but, despite their relatively compact footprints, the best exercise bikes can get pricey, with some models costing upwards of $2,600. Sunny Health and Fitness exercise bikes offer an affordable solution, as few brands can match the quality, performance, and, perhaps most importantly, savings they provide.

To give you a head start in your purchasing process, we wrangled up our favorite silhouettes from the brand’s roster to help you determine whether a Sunny Health and Fitness exercise bike is right for your space, and which model best fits your training needs. While these machines are more utilitarian than high-tech, we think everyone from beginners to seasoned cyclists will find them a reliable (and budget-friendly) option for at-home cardio.

Why Should I Buy a Sunny Health & Fitness Exercise Bike?

Exercise bikes tend to have a smaller footprint than other cardio machines, making them a great tool for athletes tight on space. The best exercise bikes on the market, though, often cost well over $1,000, and also rely on integrated fitness apps that cost an additional subscription fee that needs to be paid monthly or annually.  

[Related: The 8 Best Fitness Apps]

Sunny Health and Fitness exercise bikes, on the other hand, pair a space-saving profile with price tags that rarely creep over $1,000 (only one model eclipses the $1,500 mark). For reference, the four bikes we picked for this review — the SF-B1002, SF-B1879, SF-B901, and SF-B1995 — all fall below $620.

A big reason that Sunny Health and Fitness exercise bikes can keep costs so low is their emphasis on sturdy, well-built silhouettes over more intricate, tech-heavy profiles. Like the brand’s other fitness equipment — including some of the best treadmills and other home gym essentials — these bikes utilize heavy flywheels, comfortable saddles, and stable handlebars to prove their worth rather than a laundry list of live and on-demand courses.

Resistance mechanisms are often friction-based — a louder yet cheaper option for indoor cyclists — but Sunny Health and Fitness does feature some (more expensive) magnetic resistance machines for a smooth ride that’s less likely to wake any fellow housemates during sessions. 

Additionally, all the bikes chosen for this review have a weight capacity of 275 pounds. This supporting capability isn’t the highest we’ve experienced in our time testing over 20 indoor cycles over the years, but it should be suitable enough for most.

[Related: The 6 Benefits of Exercise Bikes (Plus Workouts From a Personal Trainer)]

We’ll be honest — most of our trial rides and cycling workouts were spent on the SF-B1002 model. However, we’ve ridden enough stationary bikes and tested enough of Sunny Health and Fitness’ exercise equipment, to understand how these four bikes separate themselves from one another (and which athletes they’d be best for). Ready to dive in? Let’s hop in the saddle and get up to speed on our findings.

Main Takeaways

• Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002 Belt Drive Indoor Cycling Bike: This exercise bike can be a great option for athletes needing a quiet training setup. The belt drive can move smoothly through each pedal cadence, and the heavy 49-pound flywheel is prime for maintaining momentum throughout your revolutions. 
• Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1879 Synergy Exercise Bike: The SF-B1879 is the lone exercise bike in this review with magnetic resistance, a preferred component for those wanting smooth intensity changes throughout their training. However, the beefier feature does raise the price slightly to $619.99, making it the most expensive bike in this guide.
• Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B901 Chain Drive Pro Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike: This indoor cycle employs a chain drive system that can better mimic the experience you’d feel with an on-road bike. However, this tech will require more upkeep than a belt-drive model.
• Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1995 Pro II Stationary Indoor Cycling Bike: With felt pad resistance, a 40-pound flywheel, and a convenient device holder, this SF-B1995 can be an ideal pick for beginner athletes just getting used to indoor cycling. We do recommend, though, that you take proper care of the felt pads to help prevent any fraying or loss of friction.

Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002 Belt Drive Indoor Cycling Bike

If you’re looking for a no-frills spin bike to give your cardio sessions some movement, the Sunny SF-B1002 is a solid pick. Available for less than $400, this compact exercise bike takes up just 7.15 square feet of space — less than that of your standard coffee table. (2) Additionally, the front transport wheels can allow you to easily move and maneuver this bike into place, which is useful when trying to make the most of your floor plan outside of workout sessions.

The SF-B1002 is one of our favorite bikes from Sunny Health and Fitness thanks to its heavy 49-pound flywheel and belt-driven drivetrain. A heavier flywheel works to maintain momentum throughout your workouts, leading to less stops and starts. (3) The belt-drive system, on the other hand, can allow for a quieter riding experience overall, and will require less maintenance than a bike running off of a chain-driven drivetrain.

[Related: The 7 Best Exercise Bikes for Small Spaces of 2024, Expert-Tested and Reviewed]

However, while we are fans of this effective system, the audio feedback of the leather friction resistance system is louder than you’ll find on a bike with magnetic resistance. As the flywheel rubs across the leather strap — which can be micro-adjusted via the resistance knob — I have experienced some loud feedback. While I’ll give the adjustability across this system a 4 out of 5, I would say that this may be a better bike for those that don’t need to worry about sleeping children nearby or interrupting a housemate as they try to talk on the phone or answer Zoom calls during work hours.

The portability of this SF-B1002 is beneficial since you’ll need to set up this exercise bike in front of a television or monitor if you want to view any workouts or intra-workout entertainment during your rides. 

There is no centralized LED or LCD monitor across the handlebars, meaning you’ll need to set up your phone (paired to a handy heart rate monitor) or tablet if you want to view your stats. Sure, the multi-grip, non-slip handlebars are comfy, but this lack of a screen may be a turnoff for data hounds.

Lastly, the Sunny SF-B1002 is a pretty stable ride that can support athletes up to 275 pounds. However, the brand states that the adjustable seat can only be toggled enough to accommodate athletes up to 6 feet 1 inch in height. Taller athletes may struggle to find a comfortable setup to fit their longer frames.

[Related: Are Exercise Bikes Good For Weight Loss? (+ Workout From a Personal Trainer)]

Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1879 Synergy Exercise Bike

For those wanting a quiet workout experience to go along with their wallet-friendly fitness gear, the SF-B1879 can be an ideal pick. Along with its belt-drive system, this spin bike also utilizes magnetic resistance across its 30-pound flywheel, which can keep revolutions more feedback-free than friction-based resistances.

Our tester, a certified personal trainer, rated the bike’s durability a 5 out of 5, and also noted a few of the key conveniences it provides. “I like that Sunny Health included a rugged water bottle holder for mid-workout refreshments,” our tester said, rating its conveniences a 4 out of 5. 

“Plus, the small dumbbell holders at the side can help me keep lighter weights at the ready, which can be great for HIIT workouts that give me some movement versatility over just pounding the pedals to different resistances,” they added. 

There’s also an integrated LCD monitor with this Sunny Health and Fitness offering. While it isn’t the most tech-heavy unit — our tester rated the programming at 0 out of 5 because, well, there aren’t any training programs available — it can still be helpful when trying to monitor your heart rate, speed, distance, RPM, calories burned, and more.

[Related: The 8 Best Exercise Bikes for Beginners, Tried and Tested]

Additionally, we should point out that the flywheel used in the SF-B1879 is lighter than other Sunny Health and Fitness bikes we’ve tested. The 30-pound flywheel can be great for startups, as it doesn’t take as much effort to get the wheel rolling, but maintaining your pace can be more difficult than other bikes featuring a 40-pound flywheel or heavier. 

If you’re okay with the occasional stop and start, you’ll likely be fine with this setup, but if you want to get moving and stay moving, it may be best to opt for a heavier flywheel.

Lastly, we’d be remiss to not point out the price of this exercise bike. The SF-B1879 retails for roughly $620. While, yes, this is far cheaper than other high-quality exercise bikes from the likes of NordicTrack, Peloton, Echelon, and other brands, it’s one of the more expensive Sunny Health and Fitness bikes. For reference, all of the bikes included in this guide come in below $400, albeit without the quieter, smoother magnetic resistance system.

[Related: The 8 Best Magnetic Exercise Bikes, Tested by Experts]

Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B901 Chain Drive Pro Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike

Granted, most indoor cycling bikes can help home gym enthusiasts save a few square feet, but the SF-B901 is one of our favorites for making the most of a compact floor plan. The footprint of this no-frills exercise bike measures 5.81 square feet, which is nearly half the flooring you’d need for a standard coffee table. (2)

I scored the footprint at 4.5 out of 5, too, because of the larger transport wheels located at the front base of this machine. This can be ideal when trying to transport or maneuver the 102-pound frame for your dedicated spin classes.

This SF-B901 also features an impressive emergency brake system that allows you to quickly halt your training with a simple twist of a lever. This added safety measure may be overlooked by some, but having the ability to completely stop your progress can be helpful when looking to keep setups as safe as possible. That’s especially true with caged pedals — getting out of them can be easier said than done at times. As such, I rated the safety features at 4 out of 5.

[Related: The Best Compact Exercise Equipment for Any Small Space]

In terms of resistance, this Sunny Health and Fitness bike utilizes a felt pad friction-style setup. This can be helpful when trying to keep costs low, but I have found that felt pads tend to require a little more upkeep when compared to other friction systems like leather or synthetic rubber. 

Over time, these pads can begin to fray, which will require some lubrication. While I do appreciate how easy the tension knob is to set across the micro-adjustable resistance levels, I did have to dock the resistance down to 3.5 out of 5 given the required maintenance.

Another key component of this SF-B901 is the chain-driven drivetrain. Like your favorite road bike, this mechanism uses a chain to connect your pedals to the flywheel. I actually prefer this drivetrain style as it can easily mimic your on-road experience, but like the felt pads, it will require some maintenance every now and again. 

Additionally, Sunny Health and Fitness does claim that chain drive systems can be louder than belt-drive bikes. If you’re really focused on keeping workouts as quiet as possible, it may be best to opt for a different silhouette.

[Related: The Best Exercise Bikes Under $500 of 2024 — Expert Tested and Reviewed]

Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1995 Pro II Stationary Indoor Cycling Bike

The SF-B901 from Sunny Health and Fitness is what I’d refer to as a mid-range exercise bike. Yes, you get a 40-pound flywheel for improved momentum throughout your workout. Yes, the stable steel frame can support athletes up to 275 pounds. However, I wouldn’t put it at the top of my list for exercise bikes, nor would I place it at the very end. It’s an affordable, high-quality machine that doesn’t necessarily have any standout features … and that’s perfectly fine.

I do enjoy how this Sunny Health and Fitness bike comes equipped with an integrated device holder across the handlebars. This can make viewing your favorite streamable workouts or content a more approachable endeavor, although the front transport wheels can also make setting it up in front of your television that much easier. 

Additionally, I appreciated how easy it was to fine tune the resistance to my desired intensity level thanks to the micro-adjustable tension knob. While this unit does lack the digital features of other exercise bikes, I’d still rate the workout experience at 4 out of 5.

[Related: The Best Exercise Bikes on Amazon]

There are also plenty of adjustment points across the well-padded seat, which can be helpful for lankier athletes searching for that premier fitment. I had no issues with the ergonomics on hand with the SF-B901, and rated the adjustability at 4.5 out of 5.

Like other Sunny Health and Fitness exercise bikes, the SF-B901 relies on felt pads for its friction-based resistance system. This can be fine for keeping costs low, but I caution that you will need to tend to these pads sooner rather than later. 

The constant contact with the 40-pound flywheel can begin to wear across the profiles, resulting in a frayed makeup that’s less effective over time. A simple lubrication schedule can keep these pads operating smoothly, but it is more required maintenance than you’d experience with, say, a magnetic system.

Finally, the caged pedal setup can be useful for cardio newbies looking to pedal toward their fitness goals. That said, I would have liked to have seen a clipless variety offered in this budget-friendly exercise bike for those that already own or prefer to train in cycling shoes. While not an absolute dealbreaker, having the ability to clip into the pedals can make this bike more accommodating for those already ingrained in the indoor cycling community.

[Related: Recumbent Bikes Vs. Upright Bikes — Which Is Best for Your Goals?]

What to Consider Before Buying a Sunny Health & Fitness Exercise Bike

According to Amanda Capritto, CPT, CF-L1, CES, CSNC, “Cycling brings an impressive collection of health benefits to the table: cardiovascular health, endurance, stamina, muscular endurance are all improved with cycling, to name a few.” As such, there are a few things to consider when deciding on a proper fitness machine for your space, whether from Sunny Health and Fitness or another popular brand.

Flywheel Weight

Your exercise bike’s flywheel weight can greatly influence your overall training experience outside of just your machine’s stability. Lighter flywheels — 20 pounds or lighter — can be helpful for quick starts and getting your machine up and running, but the lack of weight upfront can lead to less momentum throughout the revolutions. (3) As a result, you may need to stop and start more often in order to maintain a certain pace.

Heavier flywheels, on the other hand, may be more difficult to get moving, but have a greater tendency to maintain their sense of inertia during workouts, which can lead to more fluid movements and less of a drop in pacing overall. (3)

Whichever flywheel weight you choose can be subjective depending on how difficult you want your workout starts to be, as well as how efficiently you want to maintain certain speeds and paces throughout your sessions. For reference, all of the Sunny Health and Fitness bikes in this round-up feature flywheels no lighter than 30 pounds, which can be more attuned to better momentum and pace maintenance throughout training.

Durability

Having a durable exercise bike can not only improve your machine’s lifespan but also go a long way in ensuring your confidence atop the profile itself. A stable indoor cycle can alleviate worries of wobbling or imbalances, helping you stay upright more easily and allowing you to focus on hitting your mileage or speed goals without too much worry.

[Related: The 9 Best Exercise Bikes for Heavy People]

All Sunny Health and Fitness exercise bikes, including the four listed in this guide, feature durable steel frames that can support athletes up to 275 pounds. While larger individuals may need to search for a more supportive frame design, these cost-effective bikes should be more than enough for the average athlete. 

In our personal trials, we’ve experienced little to no imbalances, so while we can’t speak for every body type, our time with these fitness machines has been nothing but positive.

Resistance

Your exercise bike’s resistance system is what can help you toggle your training intensity up or down, depending on your goals and feelings on a given day. Some digitally-controlled bikes can feature settings adjustments across their display, allowing for quick, intuitive changes to your workout difficulty. 

Other, more simplified systems will see you turn a tension knob to create more or less resistance across your flywheel. This style of training resistance may be less advanced, but can also lead to a more fine-tuned setup.

All of the Sunny Health and Fitness bikes in this guide utilize a tension knob system to adjust the level of friction either across their implanted felt or leather pads, or via the magnetic unit near the flywheel.

Benefits of Indoor Cycling

According to Amanda Capritto, CPT, CF-L1, CES, CSNC, there are a number of benefits that can come from adding an exercise bike, like one of these Sunny Health and Fitness units, to your home gym setup. Outside of the (natural) ability to get your daily miles in without fear of unpleasant weather or dealing with daily traffic, indoor cycling can also be a helpful, low-impact discipline that can be easier on your joints and frame than other cardio modalities.

[Related: 14 Benefits of Owning a Home Gym to Convince You to Build Your Iron Oasis]

Below are some extra details outlining some of the key perks that make exercise bikes such a popular home gym must-have.

Low-Impact Training

Unlike with running, where you’re constantly lifting your feet off the ground and landing aggressively on the pavement or treadmill belt, indoor cycling keeps you in constant contact with the machine. Your feet never leave the pedals as you push toward your speed or mileage goals, which, in turn, can help you lessen the shock absorption felt across your joints during training. As a result, you can achieve your cardiovascular training while keeping your entire frame more comfortable. (1)

Indoor cycling can also be a great solution for caloric burn and can actually be more efficient than other popular modalities. For example, studies have found that a 185-pound athlete can burn up to 441 calories in 30 minutes of vigorous activity with an indoor stationary bike. (5) For reference, an athlete at the same weight may only burn up to 420 calories if jogging at a respectable pace of 10 minutes per mile. (5)

More Accommodating Training Conditions

Of course, indoor cycling’s closest comparison would be on-road cycling, but hitting the roadways and trails can sometimes be more of a burden (albeit a more scenic way to get your miles in each day). You need to plan your routes to accommodate traffic, which can be intimidating for some, especially athletes that aren’t as skilled on a bike.

Capritto states, “Indoor exercise bikes provide access to cycling no matter the weather or outdoor conditions. Many people do not feel safe cycling outside. As someone who lived in Miami and trained for triathlons there, riding outside can be brutally terrifying for city dwellers. An exercise bike eliminates traffic as a reason to skip your session, so it can be someone’s golden ticket to exercising more frequently.”

[Related: 8 Benefits of Cycling to Fuel Your Next Ride]

Indoor cycling also eliminates the need to worry about impending weather. You don’t need to plan your workouts around potential rainstorms, or even daylight hours, for that matter. Your ride is kept comfortably in your room of choice where you can completely control your training conditions with your home thermostat.

Yes, you are confined to fewer views and scapes that can make on-road cycling a true treat, but we’re willing to sacrifice the setting every now and again if it means we won’t be caught in a torrential downpour midway through a ride.

Sunny Health & Fitness Exercise Bikes, Side by Side

We won’t lie — the four Sunny Health and Fitness exercise bikes in this review are very similar, and differentiating between the silhouettes based on a coded product name can be difficult (even for us). To help paint a clearer picture of what separates these indoor cycles from one another, we’ve outlined their key metrics below.

	Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002	Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1879	Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B901	Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1995
Price:	$399.99	$619.99	$399.99	$399.99
Resistance Type:	Friction with leather pad	Magnetic	Friction with felt pad	Friction with felt pad
Driveline:	Belt drive	Belt drive	Chain drive	Belt drive
Flywheel Weight:	49lbs	30lbs	40lbs	40lbs
Product Weight:	110.8lbs	88.2lbs	102lbs	99.4lbs
Weight Capacity:	275lbs	275lbs	275lbs	275lbs
Product Dimensions:	53.94” L X 19.1” W X 44.49” H	49” L X 22” W X 50.5” H	46.5” L X 18” W X 46” H	49.5” L X 20” W X 49” H

As you can see, these four bikes are near identical when it comes to price, with three out of the four coming in at roughly $400. The SF-B1879 is the most expensive at $619.99, but does come equipped with the smoother magnetic resistance system. This feature can require less maintenance over time, hence the higher upfront cost.

The SF-B1002, SF-B901, and SF-B1995 all feature a friction-based resistance system, with the SF-B1002 using leather over the more traditional felt pads. This material can withstand more use and abuse than felt, but will need to be replaced or maintained to ensure the friction remains as tacky as possible. In the end, you’ll need to think about how much upkeep you’ll want to deal with within your fitness regimen.

In terms of the driveline, the SF-B901 employs a chain drive over a belt drive. This can be helpful for athletes that want the feel of an on-road bicycle chain, but the heavier component can lead to a louder riding experience overall. 

If you need to plan your workouts around napping children or other housemates, we’d recommend a belt-driven exercise bike, as these are traditionally quieter than other options. A belt-drive system may also require less maintenance over time.

All of these bikes feature a heavier flywheel, with only the SF-B1879 dropping below 30 pounds. Having a heavier flywheel can be beneficial when looking to maintain your pace more efficiently throughout a session. Be mindful, though, that heavier flywheels can make the entire silhouette more difficult to move, which leads into the next metric — overall weight.

[Related: Best Cardio Alternatives to Running, From a Personal Trainer]

Sunny Health and Fitness exercise bikes are relatively lightweight, with total masses ranging from 88.2 to 110.8 pounds. Plus, all of these indoor cycles feature front transport wheels that can help when trying to maneuver the machines into position for a workout. Think about how much effort you’d like to put into getting your bike ready for a session, and take your personal strength into consideration when looking at how light or heavy your exercise bike of choice is.

With weight capacities each at 275 pounds, you can expect a similar experience from each of these exercise bikes in terms of stability. This weight capacity can be helpful in keeping your balances as you push through toward your goals. If a 275-pound weight capacity isn’t enough, there are many options on the market that support between 300 and 350 pounds, though they will likely cost more than these Sunny Health and Fitness profiles. 

Lastly, the product dimensions can vary slightly between these bikes, but you can generally expect a swath of floor that’s less than your standard coffee table. (2) 

It’s always a good idea, though, to measure your available space and look for a unit that fits comfortably within your area. We also recommend planning for some wiggle room across the front and sides of your exercise bike to make getting on and off the unit less of a cramped ordeal.

[Related: The Best Home Gym Flooring and Expert Buying Guide]

Places to Buy Sunny Health & Fitness Exercise Bikes

Along with the brand’s roster of budget-friendly treadmills, recumbent bikes, and more, Sunny Health and Fitness exercise bikes are available online from the brand’s retail site as well as Amazon.

Customer Experience

Ordering a Sunny Health and Fitness exercise bike can be a quick and painless endeavor. The brand offers free shipping to help alleviate any transport costs, along with a 30-day money-back guarantee. In terms of warranties, each Sunny Health and Fitness exercise bike is supported by a 3-year structural frame coverage, as well as 180-day support for other parts and components.

We also appreciate how Sunny Health and Fitness offers financing options through Affirm, which can help those tight on finances get their new training tool while spacing out payments over a given timeframe.

Athletes shopping on Amazon are also supported when it comes to Sunny Health and Fitness products. These silhouettes are eligible for refunds, returns, and replacements through the third-party retailer’s coverage. 

Plus, eligible Prime members can potentially save on shipping, too, with quick transports to keep downtime low between finalizing your cart and getting into the saddle for your first ride.

Company Information

Founded in 2002, Sunny Health and Fitness has been making high-quality fitness equipment that caters to budding home gym enthusiasts and elite professionals. The brand’s emphasis on craftsmanship, performance, and affordability make them a solid option for home gym equipment, including treadmills, recumbent bikes, indoor stationary bikes, and more.

To contact the Sunny Health and Fitness brand, you have multiple options at your disposal. The brand’s site has a live chat feature, or you can reach them through their support center (https://support.sunnyhealthfitness.com/hc/en-us/requests/new) or via phone (1-877-90SUNNY).

In Conclusion

In the realm of affordable fitness equipment, Sunny Health and Fitness has staked its claim as a reputable brand for athletes, with their roster of exercise bikes rivaling the performance of other worthwhile profiles from the likes of brands like Peloton, Schwinn, NordicTrack, and others. The four exercise bikes in this guide — the SF-B1002, SF-B1879, SF-B901, and SF-B1995 — are some of our favorites of the bunch, each with their own beneficial perks and features.

When looking for an exercise bike for your own space, be sure to consider the flywheel weight, overall dimensions, and weight capacity. Opting for a magnetic resistance system over a friction-based design can also be beneficial, especially if you need to be mindful of other house dwellers. The four bikes in this Sunny Health and Fitness review may not be for everyone, but they can certainly be a jumping off point for your newfound at-home cardio interests.

FAQs

References

1. Bueckert, S. (2020, January 21). Magnetic resistance vs. other types of resistance for cycle bikes – wh. Sunny Health and Fitness. https://sunnyhealthfitness.com/blogs/products/best-cycle-bike-resistance-magnetic-contact-air
2. Bueckert, S. (2021, October 6). Exercise bike flywheel weight: Heavy or lightweight comparison. Sunny Health and Fitness. https://sunnyhealthfitness.com/blogs/products/indoor-cycle-bike-flywheel-weight-matter-comparison
3. Coffee table size: How to choose the right coffee table dimensions. Wayfair. (n.d.). https://www.wayfair.com/sca/ideas-and-advice/rooms/coffee-table-size-guide-T1084
4. Harvard Medical School. (2021, March 8). Calories burned in 30 minutes of leisure and routine activities. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-for-people-of-three-different-weights
5. Oja, P., Titze, S., Bauman, A., de Geus, B., Krenn, P., Reger‐Nash, B., & Kohlberger, T. (2011). Health benefits of Cycling: A Systematic Review. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 21(4), 496–509. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21496106/ 

Richard’s powerlifting career spanned 40 years.

Last updated on April 1st, 2024

British powerlifter Phil Richard died suddenly two days before his 53rd birthday. Although he had been experiencing some health issues, Richard’s passing was unexpected and shocked the powerlifting community in his home nation of Wales and beyond.

Richard started his powerlifting journey at 13 years old in 1984. First, he represented his country on the international stage at the 1988 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Junior Powerlifting Championships in Luxembourg as a 52KG lifter. He didn’t score a total but returned strong the following year and brought home gold, the first of many international titles.

Richard had a great love for the sport of powerlifting, competing often and well. He didn’t miss a year since those humble beginnings at the Welsh Junior Championships. In his long career, Richard picked up the following accolades, among many others:

Phil Richard’s Career Powerlifting Accolades

• 3 x Equipped Junior World Champion
• 4 x Equipped Masters 1 World Champion
• 4 x Equipped Junior European Champion
• 3 x Equipped Open Western European Champion
• 1 x Equipped Open European Champion
• 10 x Equipped Masters European Champion
• 1 x Classic Masters European Champion
• 1 x Equipped Open Commonwealth Champion
• 10 x Equipped Open British Champion
• 8 x Equipped Masters British Champion
• 3 x Classic Masters British Champion

Richard was also proud of having represented Great Britain at the 2005 World Games and twice being invited to lift at the UK Arnold in his fifties. Richard was held in great regard by his fellow powerlifters and was inducted into the European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) Hall of Fame in 2018. 

A great proponent of equipped powerlifting, Richard was always at hand to help an inexperienced lifter or offer encouragement. When not lifting, Richard could usually be found at a competition, coaching, spotting and loading, or refereeing.

Richard was often the life and soul of the party; small in stature but huge in spirit and touched the hearts of all those who knew him.

Fellow British lifter Tony Cliffe commented: “[Richard] was inspirational for me as a stalwart of the British team when I started lifting, he was so supportive, encouraging and everything you’d want from a role model, he was also fun to be around and would lift the mood no matter the circumstances.”

Richard continued as an active and successful powerlifter into his fifties and, at the time of his passing, was Classic British Masters Champion, Equipped European Masters Champion, and Equipped Western European Champion.

Richard is survived by his daughter and two sons and will be sorely missed by the powerlifting community at large.

Featured image: @theipf on Instagram

Step outside on a sunny day, and you can soak up some free vitamin D — the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D is vital to healthy bones and your immune system. Getting enough vitamin D through sun exposure and food sources alone is difficult. Over one billion people worldwide have a vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to medical conditions. (1)

I always recommend that my clients get their vitamin D levels checked to see if their healthcare provider suggests a vitamin D supplement. There are two forms of vitamin D: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Here, I’ll zero in on vitamin D3, potentially the most effective option for raising your vitamin D levels. I’ll explain what it is, how much you need, and how it may affect your health.

What Is Vitamin D3?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin (along with vitamins A, E, and K), which is stored in fat in your body. Vitamin D refers to a group of vitamins that includes vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). How much vitamin D2 and D3 you have determines your vitamin D status — insufficiency, adequate levels, or toxicity (very rare). (2)(3)

You can get vitamin D3 from food sources like fortified cereals, dairy products, egg yolks, fatty fish, and sardines. You can also take vitamin D supplements, multivitamins that contain vitamin D3, or cod liver oil. (3)

Your body also synthesizes and produces vitamin D3 in your skin from ultraviolet rays during sun exposure. Wearing sunscreen may limit how much vitamin D you can get from sun exposure. However, too much exposure to ultraviolet rays without sunscreen is a leading risk factor for skin cancer, so it’s not the safest way to get your daily vitamin D. (4)

What Does Vitamin D3 Do?

Vitamin D’s primary function is to balance your body’s calcium and phosphorus levels by helping you absorb calcium. These functions are important for bone health, muscle and nerve function, your immune system, and cardiovascular health. (2)(5)

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) may be the most effective dietary supplement for raising your blood levels of vitamin D. It is recommended by health professionals for people with a vitamin D deficiency. Certain populations may be more at risk of having low vitamin D levels, including older adults, people with darker skin, people who spend less time in the sun, and people with gastrointestinal diseases. (6)(7)

[Read More: The Benefits of Vitamin D for Strength Athletes]

Vitamin D3 (along with calcium supplements) is often used to treat three bone health conditions that a vitamin D deficiency can cause. (7)

• Rickets (soft and weak bones in children)
• Osteomalacia (soft and weak bones in adults)
• Osteoporosis (thin and weakening bones in older adults)

How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?

A vitamin D deficiency is extremely common. Over one billion people worldwide, across all countries, ages, and ethnicities, have low vitamin D. (1)

[Read More: The Vitamins and Nutrients You Need To Take To Stay Fit Over 40]

The Office of Dietary Supplements Department of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends the following daily vitamin D intake for Americans: (8)

• Infants from birth to one year need 0 micrograms (mcg) or 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D.
• People from one to 70 years 15 mcg or 600 IU of vitamin D daily. Pregnant and breastfeeding people require the same amount.
• Older adults over age 71 need 20 mcg or 800 IU of vitamin D.

How Do You Know If You’re Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Concerned about your vitamin D status? A healthcare provider can check it with a blood test. The test will show your blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. 

The amount of 25-hydroxyvitamin D indicates your overall vitamin D blood levels. Having more than 30 ng/mL of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is adequate. (9)

[Read More: What Vitamins Should Women Take On a Daily Basis?]

Here are some more numbers to look for. (5)

• Insufficiency: 30 nmol/L (12 ng/mL) is too low and can harm your bone health
• Sufficiency: 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) is adequate for bone health
• Toxicity: Over 125 nmol/L (50 ng/mL) is too high

Do Vitamin D Supplements Work?

Research shows that vitamin D supplements do work at raising your blood levels of vitamin D. It is difficult to get enough vitamin D from food sources since they contain low levels of it. It can also be dangerous for your skin to try and get enough from the sun alone. (7)

[Read More: What Men Should Look For in a Multivitamin]

Always check with a healthcare provider for personal medical advice.

Can You Have Too Much Vitamin D?

Vitamin D toxicity is rare but possible. It can occur from taking high doses of vitamin D and going above the recommendation. A blood test indicating vitamin D toxicity would show your 25-hydroxyvitamin D level higher than 150 ng/ml (375 nmol/l). (10)

Symptoms of a vitamin D overdose include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and muscle weakness. An overdose and vitamin D toxicity can cause hypercalcemia, a condition where your calcium blood levels are too high. Hypercalcemia can lead to nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, kidney stones, pain, and dehydration. (7)(8)

[Read More: The 7 Best Multivitamins for Women]

The NIH states the daily upper limit for vitamin D is 100 mcg (4,000 IU) for people over nine. (8)

Uses of Vitamin D3

Research links a vitamin D deficiency with multiple medical conditions related to bone health, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and depression. However, outcomes from clinical trials have been mixed across the board. (9)

Effective for Raising Vitamin D Levels

One thing seems to be relatively sure — taking vitamin D3 as a dietary supplement effectively raises blood levels of vitamin D.

• A meta-analysis of clinical trials from 1966 to 2011 found that vitamin D3 is more effective at raising 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels than vitamin D2. (6)
• A study on 32 older adults with a vitamin D deficiency found that vitamin D3 was almost twice as effective as vitamin D2 at raising 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. (11)

Probably Effective for Bone Health and Immune System Strength

Raising vitamin D levels by taking vitamin D3 seems to be effective at improving bone health. 

• Long-term vitamin D or calcium insufficiency may cause osteoporosis. Since vitamin D helps absorb calcium, both can help with prevention. Clinical trials on older adults of all genders suggest that both vitamin D and calcium supplementation can increase bone mineral density. (8)
• Having adequate vitamin D levels is associated with higher bone mineral density, which helps prevent osteoporosis. Older adults, especially people assigned female at birth, are more at risk of developing osteoporosis, which can increase their risk of fractures. (12)

It is well known that vitamin D plays a significant role in regulating your immune system. (13)

• Research has found that immune cells contain vitamin D receptors. Theoretically, exposing them to vitamin D supplements could help to “strengthen” your immune system. There seems to be a link between vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases. (13)
• When your immune cells receive vitamin D, it may help protect you from infections. Vitamin D may increase your immune response. (14) 
• A study on college athletes found that lower vitamin D levels in the winter were associated with a higher risk of illness. (15)

Possibly Effective for Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels

Some clinical trials suggest vitamin D supplements may help reduce high cholesterol and blood pressure. Both are risk factors for heart disease. (5)

[Read More: Combating the Winter Blues this Winter? Start With Vitamin D]

However, health professionals state that vitamin D supplements alone are not an adequate treatment for cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Seems Ineffective for Weight Loss and Preventing Certain Conditions

Although vitamin D deficiency seems to correlate with certain medical conditions, clinical trials show that vitamin D supplements don’t necessarily help them — other than those related to bone health. They also seem ineffective in helping with weight loss.

• Weight Loss: Although people with obesity frequently have low vitamin D levels, clinical trials do not show that vitamin D helps with weight loss. If you are trying to lose weight and have a vitamin D deficiency, taking vitamin D may benefit your health — but it won’t impact weight loss. (8)
• Cardiovascular Disease: High vitamin D levels have been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, but it doesn’t go the other way. Clinical trials show vitamin D supplements do not help prevent heart disease. (5)(8)
• Multiple Sclerosis: Some studies found a link between low vitamin D levels and a higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). However, clinical trials haven’t shown that vitamin D supplements can help prevent or manage MS. (5)(8)
• Depression, Cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes: Research states that vitamin D supplements do not help prevent or manage depression, cancer, or type 2 diabetes. (5)

Side Effects of Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 dietary supplements may cause side effects. Always consult a healthcare provider before trying a new supplement, and let them know if you experience worsening side effects.

Here are the common side effects of vitamin D supplements: (7)

• Lack of appetite
• Unexplained weight loss
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Vomiting

Vitamin D3 Interactions 

Vitamin D3 may interact with certain medications by causing your body to absorb too little or too much vitamin D and calcium. Here’s what to look out for. (5)

• Weight Loss Drugs: The drug Orlistat can prevent your body from absorbing vitamin D from food and dietary supplements.
• Cholesterol Drugs: Taking vitamin D supplements may reduce the efficacy of cholesterol-lowering drugs (a class called statins), including atorvastatin, lovastatin, and simvastatin.
• Steroids: Taking a steroid medication like prednisone may lower vitamin D levels. 
• Diuretics: Taking diuretic medications (Hygroton, Lozol, and Microzide) with vitamin D supplements can increase your calcium levels too much.

It’s also important to tell your healthcare provider if you already take calcium supplements, multivitamins, and other vitamin D supplements or eat fortified foods. Taking vitamin D3 in addition to these could raise your vitamin D or calcium levels too much. (5)

Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, taking vitamin D supplements with a fat source may help improve absorption. One meta-analysis of trials found that omega-3 supplements helps increase vitamin D levels. (16)

There isn’t any concrete evidence that omega-3 can help improve vitamin D absorption, but if you take both supplements separately, it may be worth trying them together. 

Takeaways

Here’s what you need to take with you.

• Vitamin D: a fat-soluble vitamin critical for bone health and calcium absorption
• Vitamin D Deficiency: over one billion people worldwide don’t get enough
• Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 influence your vitamin D levels
• How to Check Your Levels: ask your healthcare provider for a blood test

• Deficiency, Sufficiency, Toxicity: your doctor will let you know, but here are the numbers for vitamin D blood levels
  • Insufficiency: 30 nmol/L (12 ng/mL) and under
  • Sufficiency: 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) and over
  • Toxicity: Over 125 nmol/L (50 ng/mL) and over
• Why Take Vitamin D3: it raises vitamin D levels best
  • it’s challenging to get it all through food
  • it’s dangerous to get it all through sun exposure without sunscreen
  • it contributes to healthy bones
  • helps prevent rickets, osteomalacia, and osteoporosis
  • may boost the immune system to prevent infections
• How Much to Take: 
  • RDA for adults: 15 mcg or 600 IU 
  • RDA for adults over age 71: 20 mcg or 800 IU
  • Upper Limit: don’t go over 4,000 IU daily
• Side Effects: watch out for
  • decreased appetite
  • unexplained weight loss
  • nausea, vomiting, constipation
• Interactions: vitamin D3 may interact with
  • weight loss drugs, cholesterol drugs, steroids, and diuretics
  • calcium supplements and multivitamins

Frequently Asked Questions

Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.

References

1. Nair R, Maseeh A. Vitamin D: The “sunshine” vitamin. J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2012 Apr;3(2):118-26. 
2. Chauhan K, Shahrokhi M, Huecker MR. Vitamin D. [Updated 2023 Apr 9]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. 
3. Alayed Albarri EM, Sameer Alnuaimi A, Abdelghani D. Effectiveness of vitamin D2 compared with vitamin D3 replacement therapy in a primary healthcare setting: a retrospective cohort study. Qatar Med J. 2022 Aug 4;2022(3):29. 
4. D’Orazio J, Jarrett S, Amaro-Ortiz A, Scott T. UV radiation and the skin. Int J Mol Sci. 2013 Jun 7;14(6):12222-48.
5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Consumers. National Institutes of Health.
6. Tripkovic L, Lambert H, Hart K, Smith CP, Bucca G, Penson S, Chope G, Hyppönen E, Berry J, Vieth R, Lanham-New S. Comparison of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 supplementation in raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Jun;95(6):1357-64.
7. National Library of Medicine (2020, October 15). Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3). Medline Plus.
8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health.
9. Sizar O, Khare S, Goyal A, et al. Vitamin D Deficiency. [Updated 2023 Jul 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. 
10. Marcinowska-Suchowierska E, Kupisz-Urbańska M, Łukaszkiewicz J, Płudowski P, Jones G. Vitamin D Toxicity-A Clinical Perspective. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2018 Sep 20;9:550. 
11. Romagnoli E, Mascia ML, Cipriani C, Fassino V, Mazzei F, D’Erasmo E, Carnevale V, Scillitani A, Minisola S. Short and long-term variations in serum calciotropic hormones after a single very large dose of ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) or cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) in the elderly. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Aug;93(8):3015-20. 
12. Laird E, Ward M, McSorley E, Strain JJ, Wallace J. Vitamin D and bone health: potential mechanisms. Nutrients. 2010 Jul;2(7):693-724. 
13. Martens PJ, Gysemans C, Verstuyf A, Mathieu AC. Vitamin D’s Effect on Immune Function. Nutrients. 2020 Apr 28;12(5):1248. 
14. Aranow C. Vitamin D and the immune system. J Investig Med. 2011 Aug;59(6):881-6. 
15. Halliday TM, Peterson NJ, Thomas JJ, Kleppinger K, Hollis BW, Larson-Meyer DE. Vitamin D status relative to diet, lifestyle, injury, and illness in college athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Feb;43(2):335-43. 
16. Alhabeeb H, Kord-Varkaneh H, Tan SC, Găman MA, Otayf BY, Qadri AA, Alomar O, Salem H, Al-Badawi IA, Abu-Zaid A. The influence of omega-3 supplementation on vitamin D levels in humans: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2022;62(11):3116-3123.

Featured Image: Andrey Yurlov / Shutterstock

Sick of cardio? Yeah, us too. No shade to anyone who enjoys a half marathon on the treadmill or stationary bike, of course, but some folks simply don’t have that sort of time to dedicate to their cardio endurance workouts on a regular basis. 

We don’t think you should have to choose between “brief” and “effective” when it comes to conditioning workouts — that’s exactly where HIIT comes in. If you’ve been on the prowl for a HIIT exercise bike workout (or two) to help you burn calories and break a sweat, look no further. These are some of our favorite HIIT bike workouts that you can do in 20 minutes or less. 

What Is HIIT?

HIIT stands for “high-intensity interval training”; it’s a style of cardio workout that focuses on brief, vigorous bursts of activity (that’s the high-intensity bit) paired with longer durations of low-intensity movement to help you recover (those are the intervals). 

[Read More: The Benefits of Cardio — Better Sleep, Mental Health, Bone Health & More]

HIIT is basically the opposite of LISS on the cardio exercise spectrum. LISS, or low-intensity, steady-state cardio is stagnant in duration and tempo, while HIIT workouts are shorter and more demanding. 

Benefits of HIIT

Make no mistake, HIIT is still cardio. But unlike other forms of cardio, HIIT appears to provide benefits to more than just your heart. According to WebMD, (1) HIIT has the potential to: 

• Help you build muscle.
• Boost your metabolism.
• Burn calories for hours after your workout finishes. 

The Science of HIIT

These benefits appear to be rooted in real science, though findings are conflicting. Studies do show that HIIT can help you continue to burn calories after your workout ends through a mechanism known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC. (2)

[Read More: Everything You Need to Know About LISS Cardio and Why You Should Do It]

However, it’s unclear if HIIT workouts on exercise bikes (or anywhere else) meaningfully affect your metabolism. One paper observed no change in metabolism 24 hours after a HIIT workout, (3), but other data argue that you can boost your metabolism after several weeks of HIIT. (4)

[Read More: The Best Air Bikes for Your Home Gym]

Now, to the claim that HIIT can build muscle. In short, yes, it can, but there are major caveats. Studies have observed muscle hypertrophy in folks who do HIIT workouts, (5) but these effects are hard to replicate in trained populations. 

In plain English, if you’re new to working out altogether or are obese, HIIT might help you build muscle. If you’re a gym rat with strength training experience, don’t get your hopes up. 

Best HIIT Exercise Bike Workouts

HIIT is quick and dirty, and so are these workouts. All you’ll need is a stationary bike (air or assault bikes will work too), half an hour of time at most, and a large gym towel to mop up the sweat. 

[Read More: HIIT Vs. LISS — Which Type of Cardio Is Better?]

How many calories will you burn from these workouts? It depends on your age, weight, effort, and many other factors. However, one study on bodyweight HIIT showed that 20 minutes of exercise burned about 250 calories; you can expect a similar return on investment from your exercise bike workout. (6)

Workout 1 

You can perform this simple workout on an upright or recumbent stationary bike, or on a flywheel or air bike as well. This HIIT bike workout requires you to alternate between “Zone 2” cardio (60-69% of your max heart rate) and Zone 4 (80-89%).

Alternate between phases for 15 minutes total. 

Workout 2

This workout involves monitoring your own RPE — that’s Rate of Perceived Exertion, a subjective measurement of your own effort. The best part of RPE-based conditioning workouts is that you aren’t held to a specific benchmark of performance. It’s relative. 

[Read More: How Body Conditioning Can Burn Fat and Boost Your Work Capacity]

RPE is measured on a scale from 1 to 10; for exercise bike conditioning workouts, consider a “1” to be low-effort leisure, and “10” to be as hard as you can possibly pedal for a few seconds at a time.

This workout should take a little over 10 minutes to complete. 

Workout 3 

This conditioning workout is intended for folks who have a bit of HIIT experience under their belt and want something challenging. It still uses RPE, but involves three different phases of effort.

Completing all three Phases should take you between 7 and 8 minutes. Repeat up to three times for a 20-ish minute HIIT session. 

HIIT Workout Tips

Conditioning workout routines on the exercise bike may be straightforward, but adding HIIT into the mix definitely spices things up. If you’re not used to doing HIIT — or if you need a refresher — make sure you’re keeping these tips in mind. 

Start Slowly

HIIT cardio workouts may be brief, but they’re no walk (or bike, in this case) in the park. In fact, they’re much more demanding on your body than longer, lower-intensity workouts tend to be. 

[Read More: The Best Recumbent Bikes for Small Spaces, Streaming, Seniors, and More]

If you typically perform three or four “regular” cardio training sessions each week, don’t expect to match that schedule with HIIT. You may be asking too much of your body too quickly. Start with one HIIT workout per week and monitor how you respond to it, then consider adding another session down the line. 

Rest Appropriately

There’s a pretty strong relationship between effort and efficacy when it comes to exercise. The harder you work, the better your results will generally be. This is part and parcel for HIIT, too, but it also means you must prioritize your recovery as well.

Avoid performing HIIT workouts back-to-back. You should have at least 24 hours of rest between cardio workouts on the exercise bike, if that’s your preferred modality. 

Fuel (and Refuel)

Workouts and nutrition go hand-in-hand. After all, the world’s fastest supercar can’t back out of a driveway unless there’s gas in the tank. The same holds true if you enjoy doing HIIT workouts to burn fat or calories.

[Read More: The Best Fat Burner Supplements, Reviewed by Our RD]

You may have heard that fasted HIIT workouts burn more fat than those performed in a fed state. Research is conflicting there — some studies have observed no difference in fat loss when doing cardio fasted or fed. (7)

However, a 2022 meta analysis on the topic did note that fasted HIIT produced greater changes in fat loss on average. (8) This isn’t conclusive, but it does mean there’s some merit to the idea. If you choose to hop on the exercise bike with nothing in your belly, make sure to fuel up with a sports drink or post-workout supplement shortly after. 

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1. Robinson, K. M. (2014, July 22). HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). WebMD. webmd.com/fitness-exercise/a-z/high-intensity-interval-training-hiit
2. Schleppenbach, L. N., Ezer, A. B., Gronemus, S. A., Widenski, K. R., Braun, S. I., & Janot, J. M. (2017). Speed- and Circuit-Based High-Intensity Interval Training on Recovery Oxygen Consumption. International journal of exercise science, 10(7), 942–953.
3. Schleppenbach, L. N., Ezer, A. B., Gronemus, S. A., Widenski, K. R., Braun, S. I., & Janot, J. M. (2017). Speed- and Circuit-Based High-Intensity Interval Training on Recovery Oxygen Consumption. International journal of exercise science, 10(7), 942–953.
4. Schleppenbach, L. N., Ezer, A. B., Gronemus, S. A., Widenski, K. R., Braun, S. I., & Janot, J. M. (2017). Speed- and Circuit-Based High-Intensity Interval Training on Recovery Oxygen Consumption. International journal of exercise science, 10(7), 942–953.
5. Blue, M. N. M., Smith-Ryan, A. E., Trexler, E. T., & Hirsch, K. R. (2018). The effects of high intensity interval training on muscle size and quality in overweight and obese adults. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 21(2), 207–212. doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2017.06.001
6. Machado, A. F., Reis, V. M., Rica, R. L., Baker, J. S., Figueira Junior, A. J., & Bocalini, D. S.. (2020). Energy expenditure and intensity of HIIT bodywork® session. Motriz: Revista De Educação Física, 26(4), e10200083. DOI:10.1590/S1980-6574202000040083
7. Schoenfeld, B. J., Aragon, A. A., Wilborn, C. D., Krieger, J. W., & Sonmez, G. T. (2014). Body composition changes associated with fasted versus non-fasted aerobic exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 11(1), 54. doi.org/10.1186/s12970-014-0054-7
8. Guo, Z., Cai, J., Wu, Z., & Gong, W. (2022). Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training Combined with Fasting in the Treatment of Overweight and Obese Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(8), 4638. doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084638

Kieliszkowski was due to compete in the UK on April 20, 2024.

Last updated on April 3rd, 2024

Polish strongman Mateusz Kieliszkowski’s return to competition has hit a bump. He was scheduled to compete at the 2024 Europe’s Strongest Man event in Leeds, UK, on April 13, 2024, but it seems that will not come to pass.

Kieliszkowski announced on his Instagram page on April 1, 2024, that he had withdrawn from the contest due to an injury to his Achilles tendon. Unfortunately, despite the announcement date, he assured his fans that it was not an April Fool’s prank; he would not be able to compete. See his statement below:

Kieliszkowski made his mark in the international strongman competition between 2015 and 2019. He placed second at World’s Strongest Man in 2018 and again in 2019, cementing his position as one of the strongest athletes in the world. 

However, disaster struck soon after. Kieliszkowski suffered a triceps injury, compelling his withdrawal from the 2020 World’s Strongest Man, and had to undergo surgery. Ensuing complications and subsequent re-injury at the same site led to him missing key competitions in 2020 and 2021. He did not compete in 2022, allowing time to heal properly.

Kieliskowski’s return in 2023 began well. He scored a second-place finish at the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic but then faltered when he was eliminated in the group stage for the first time in his career at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest.

In 2024, Kieliszkowski finally seemed to be in good shape. He performed well at the 2024 Arnold Strongman Classic, winning the Stone Medley and claiming second place overall. Unfortunately, the comeback ended early when he injured his Achilles tendon in training.

There’s nothing to complain about because I have chosen this path myself. I’m aware that injuries and health problems are part of the sport at this level.

Kieliszkowski said in his post that it wasn’t clear when it happened or if he had torn the tendon completely or partially, but he was struggling to walk without pain so he suspended training and competing. He will miss the 2024 Europe’s Strongest Man and 2024 World’s Strongest Man.

This is another huge setback for Kieliszkowski and fans of the sport. There’s no doubt that, when fully fit, he can challenge at the highest level. However, fans must wait a little longer to see him return at full strength.

Featured image: @kieliszkowskimateusz on Instagram

Zollars is eligible to compete in the 2024 Olympia.

Last updated on March 31st, 2024

Jennifer Zollars is the 2024 Houston Tournament of Champions Pro champion. Held on Saturday, March 30, 2024, in The Woodlands, TX, Zollars was one of eight athletes in the lineup.

Nicole Stewart finished second, and Alicia Self of Australia took third. The full results from the event in The Woodlands are below:

2024 Houston Tournament of Champions Pro

1. Jennifer Zollars (United States)
2. Nicole Stewart (United States)
3. Alicia Self (Australia)
4. Juliane Almeida (United States)
5. Cassandra Pennington (United States)
6. Amanda Burnett (United States)
7. Haley Johnson (United States)
8. Nicollette Burns (United States)

[Related: Mitchell Hooper and Dr. Mike Israetel Dissect Training for Size Versus Strength]

[Related: The Stomach Vacuum: What It Is, Benefits, & More From Bodybuilding Experts]

Winner — Jennifer Zollars

Zollars was involved in a close contest with Stewart. The judges had Zollars ahead by a single point in the single-round competition.

Zollars’ victory was her first IFBB Pro League win since turning pro three years ago. She also earned qualification to compete in the 2024 Wellness Olympia during the 60th Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas, NV, on Oct. 10-13, 2024.

Second Place — Nicole Stewart

Stewart ranked fifth in the 2023 edition of this contest in her pro debut. She showed significant improvement this time around.

Scoring a silver rank in Texas, Stewart can enter future contests during the 2024 season with confidence of reaching first callouts. She has until Sept. 15, 2024, to win a pro show to qualify for the 2024 Olympia.

Third Place — Alicia Self

Self was the only non-American in the lineup. She received all third-place votes on the scorecards.

The Masters competitor was coming off a fourth-place Open finish at the 2024 Sampson Showdown Pro event one week before this contest. It would not be a surprise if Self competes again in the near future to an equal or better result.

Other Notes

The next Wellness division show on the 2024 schedule will occur at the 2024 Arnold South American event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on the weekend of April 5-7, 2024. Men’s Open, Classic Physique, and Men’s Wheelchair will also be featured.

Featured image: @jeni.snax on Instagram

At BarBend, we review a lot of exercise equipment. Weekly we ask ourselves, what’s the best barbell out there? What are the best kettlebells for beginners? Is there a best treadmill, and if so, why? 

Yet we often find ourselves turning back to the humble dumbbell. Dumbbell exercises aren’t just for beginners; upper-body dumbbell exercises can help you build muscle even after years of gym experience, and you can certainly gain strength by using dumbbells as well. 

We really can’t speak highly enough about them, but what we can do is offer you 14 of our favorite dumbbell exercises for muscle gain and strength development: 

14 Best Dumbbell Exercises

Recent Updates: This article was originally written by Jake Dickson, BarBend’s Senior Writer. Dickson revisited the list on Mar. 1, 2024, to review and update the movements so they better reflect BarBend’s contemporary best practices regarding exercise prescriptions. Read more about that process here. 

1. Dumbbell Bench Press

[Read More: How to Do a Dumbbell Bench Press, With Expert Tips & Video Guide]

Equipment Needed	Dumbbells, weight bench, wrist wraps (optional)
Muscles Worked	Chest, shoulders, triceps
Sets & Reps	3 x 6-8

If the standard push-up is a bit too easy for you, you might need to look beyond calisthenics for building up your chest. Any variation of a chest press will work just fine, but dumbbells specifically offer a few unique benefits to chest growth (and strengthening) that you can’t get from a barbell or a plate-loaded machine.

How To Do It

1. Sit on the end of a weight bench with the dumbbells resting on your knees. 
2. Brace your core and lean backward onto the bench, simultaneously straightening your arms as you settle into the starting position.
3. Lower the dumbbells slowly down until they graze your chest and then return them to arm’s length.

Modifications

• Make It Easier: You can do this movement on the floor as a way of limiting your range of motion, or tuck your upper arms to your sides to reduce shoulder discomfort. 
• Make It Harder: Try holding your feet up in the air while you bench to give your core a workout. 

2. Dumbbell Row

[Read More: The Best Biceps Exercises for Your Next Workout, Plus Expert Tips]

Equipment Needed	Dumbbells, adjustable weight bench, lifting straps (optional)
Muscles Worked	Lats, traps, biceps, forearms
Sets & Reps	3 x 8-12

It may be hard to see your back without the assistance of a mirror, but, thankfully, a pair of dumbbells can help you build it just fine. The dumbbell row (and its many, many variations) is a staple back exercise.

Making dumbbells your weapon of choice is wise as well — something pro physique athletes and strength enthusiasts alike are aware of.

How To Do It

1. Support your torso with your non-working arm and the corresponding knee on a bench. 
2. Grab the dumbbell and row it by pulling your elbow up and back towards the crease of your hip.

Modifications

• Make It Easier: If you have an adjustable bench, set it to a medium incline and rest on your elbow to support your weight.
• Make It Harder: Try doing rows without using a bench at all, hinging over and keeping your torso steady just by bracing your abs. 

3. Dumbbell Shrug

[Read More: The Best Forearm Exercises for Strength, Plus 4 Workouts]

Equipment Needed	Dumbbells, lifting straps (optional)
Muscles Worked	Traps, forearms
Sets & Reps	2-3 x 12-15

There’s really only one reliable way to beef up your traps or neck, and that’s the shrug. Simply elevating and depressing your shoulders is an easy enough motion to learn, the real question involves what equipment you should turn to to get the job done. We like dumbbells because they let you work each of your trap muscles independently. 

How To Do It

1. Stand upright with a pair of dumbbells in each hand. 
2. Lean slightly forward. 
3. Strongly contract your traps by elevating your shoulders up to your ears, holding for a moment, and then lowering them back down.

Modifications

• Make It Easier: You can perform shrugs sitting down instead of standing if needed. 
• Make It Harder: Ditch the lifting straps and hold the weights with a thumbless grip to test your forearm strength. 

4. Dumbbell Pullover

Equipment Needed	Weight bench, dumbbell
Muscles Worked	Lats, triceps, chest
Sets & Reps	2 x 15

There are a few exercises out there that are just a bit too useful. If you find a movement that works multiple opposing muscles at once — such as the pullover — you should stick with it, if not just for efficiency’s sake. Luckily, the dumbbell is the perfect tool for performing (and perfecting) the pullover. 

How To Do It

1. Lie on your back on a bench with your arms above you, hands clasping the plate of a dumbbell. 
2. Slowly lower it back behind your head until your arms are roughly parallel with your torso. 
3. Return the dumbbell to directly above your head. 

Modifications

• Make It Easier: Do these on the floor instead of on a bench to limit your range of motion if you don’t have flexible shoulders. 
• Make It Harder: Pause in the bottom of each rep with the weight behind your head. 

5. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Equipment Needed	Dumbbells, lifting straps (optional)
Muscles Worked	Hamstrings, glutes, lower back
Sets & Reps	3 x 6-10

The hinge is one of your most foundational and essential movement patterns. You perform it on a daily basis whether you know it or not — bending over to pick up a child, or lift a crate, or even sinking into a respectful bow.

Training the hinge with the dumbbell Romanian deadlift also helps you develop your hamstrings, calves, lower back, and glutes. Dumbbells are a fantastic choice if you want to make the Romanian deadlift part of your workout routine.

How To Do It

1. Stand with a pair of dumbbells in your hands and your weight slightly shifted into your heels. 
2. From here, break at the hips and shoot your butt backward. 
3. Allow the dumbbells to fall down your thigh until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor.
4. Reverse the motion, squeezing your backside to stand back up.

Modifications

• Make It Easier: Standing with your shins up against the side of a bench can help you learn to push your hips back rather than doing a squat. 
• Make It Harder: Try the B-stance dumbbell RDL, using one leg as a support kickstand and shifting the majority of your weight to the other leg. 

6. Dumbbell Flye

Equipment Needed	Dumbbells, weight bench
Muscles Worked	Chest
Sets & Reps	3 x 15

You don’t have to be enamored by heavy pressing to successfully add muscle to your chest. Your pecs’ other main anatomical function is humeral adduction, which is fancy phrasing for bringing your arm in toward your torso.

The dumbbell flye exercise accomplishes just that, and this happens to be one of the best dumbbell chest workouts you can do. 

How To Do It

1. Lie on your back on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight above you. 
2. Open your arms slowly, palms to the ceiling, while keeping your elbows mostly straight.
3. Drop your arms out to the side until they’re roughly parallel to the floor.

7. Dumbbell Lunge

Equipment Needed	Dumbbells, lifting straps (optional)
Muscles Worked	Quads, glutes, core
Sets & Reps	2-3 x 10-15

Squats are all well and good, but you can walk your way to strong, shapely, and powerful legs with lunges.

By putting one foot in front of the other, literally, and loading yourself up with a pair of dumbbells, you can stimulate almost every muscle in your lower body at once and train your balance to boot. 

How To Do It

1. With a dumbbell in each hand, take a broad step outward in front of you and bend your knees to sink into a high split squat position. 
2. From here, push into the floor with your forward leg, and bring your back leg forward. 
3. Then, do the same motion with the opposing leg. 

Modifications

• Make It Easier: Stand next to a horizontal rail and gently clasp it with one arm to assist your balance.
• Make It Harder: Try deficit lunges, stepping forward onto a low elevated surface like a bumper plate or riser. 

8. Dumbbell Hammer Curl

Equipment Needed	Dumbbells
Muscles Worked	Brachialis, biceps, forearms
Sets & Reps	3 x 8-12

Dumbbells are the tried-and-true default tool for arm growth in most gyms, and for good reason. You can work your biceps independently to even out imbalances and prioritize the strongest contraction possible.

[Read More: Hammer Curls Vs. Biceps Curls — Which is Better for Building Bigger Arms?]

When it comes to building the brachialis, which lies underneath your biceps proper, your first and only stop should be the dumbbell hammer curl. 

How To Do It

1. Stand upright with a pair of dumbbells in your hands and your arms tucked to your sides. 
2. With control, bend your elbow and curl the weights upward, keeping your wrists in a neutral position, palms facing inward. 

Modifications

• Make It Easier: You can perform this dumbbell biceps workout sitting down if necessary. 
• Make It Harder: Stand with your back up against a wall and keep your elbows in contact with the wall at all times to prevent swaying or momentum. 

. Dumbbell Skull Crusher

Equipment Needed	Dumbbells, weight bench, wrist wraps (optional)
Muscles Worked	Triceps
Sets & Reps	3 x 12-15

Skull crushers are great for beefing up the backside of your upper arms, but plenty of people find them uncomfortable to perform for one reason or another. This dumbbell triceps exercise can sometimes be awkward or painful on the wrist or elbow joints.

How To Do It

1. Lie on your back on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms straight above your head. 
2. Bend at the elbow and lower the weights down toward your head, keeping your upper arms stationary. 
3. Reverse the motion and squeeze your triceps to straighten your arms.

Modifications

• Make It Easier: Do this move on the floor to limit your range of motion. 
• Make It Harder: Get an adjustable weight bench and set it to a low incline. This will adjust the resistance profile of the exercise, making it more challenging. 

10. Dumbbell Woodchopper

[Read More: The Most Effective Workout Splits, Created by Our Experts]

Equipment Needed	Dumbbell, exercise mat (optional)
Muscles Worked	Abdominals, obliques, shoulders
Sets & Reps	2 x 10

Don’t laugh, we’re serious — the dumbbell woodchopper is a fantastic dumbbell ab workout when you want to get away from your standard core workout fare. This movement is also multiplanar, meaning your core muscles have to work to stabilize your spine as you move in multiple directions. As far as core workouts with dumbbells go, we love this one. 

How To Do It

1. Stand upright, holding a single dumbbell with both hands at one side of your hips.
2. Swing the weight up and across your body, as though you were swinging a golf club or trying to throw it behind your opposite shoulder. 

Coach’s Tip: Hold the weight gently in your hands and focus on creating motion by contracting your abs. 

11. Goblet Squat

Equipment Needed	Dumbbell, weightlifting shoes (optional)
Muscles Worked	Quads, glutes, core, upper back
Sets & Reps	2-3 x 12-20

Heavy, barbell-based back squats are second-to-none for leg growth and maximal strength. However, they can be intimidating to say the least. Or, you simply can’t get ahold of a squat rack in a crowded gym.

In either case, the goblet squat is at your disposal. It’s a fantastic beginner’s squatting exercise, and can also torch your quads if you’re in a hurry. 

How To Do It

1. Stand upright, holding a dumbbell aloft in front of your chest by the plate. 
2. From here, find your squat stance and sit downward slowly as low as you can go. 
3. Try to maintain an upright torso and balance the dumbbell in the same place. 

Modifications

• Make It Easier: You can goblet squat to a chair or box if you aren’t ready to do full-depth squats yet. 
• Make It Harder: Pause in the bottom of each rep and brace your core to stay upright. 

Coach’s Tip: The weight should not be resting against your torso during the goblet squat. Suspend it just in front of your chest. 

12. Arnold Press

[Read More: The Best Shoulder Exercises for Building Muscle]

Equipment Needed	Adjustable bench or seat, dumbbells, wrist wraps (optional)
Muscles Worked	Shoulders, triceps, serratus anterior
Sets & Reps	3 x 8-12

Named after bodybuilding legend himself Arnold Schwarzenegger, this dumbbell shoulder exercise is tailored perfectly for engaging all three sections of your delts. Moreover, the Arnold press is a pressing variation you flat-out can’t perform with a barbell, so we think it deserves some points for novelty.

How To Do It

1. Sit upright in a seat or bench with a pair of dumbbells in each hand. 
2. Your arms should be bent with the weights held in front of your face, palms facing you. 
3. Rotate your arms outward and up, pressing your arms overhead. 
4. Reverse the motion, rotating your arms back into the starting position to complete the rep. 

13. Renegade Row 

Equipment Needed	Dumbbells, exercise mat (optional)
Muscles Worked	Core, lats, shoulders
Sets & Reps	3 x 15-20

Combining your upper body work with some core training is wise if you’re trying to shave time off your workout routine. Luckily, you can utilize dumbbells to build up your lats and forge an ironclad set of abs at the same time with the renegade row. 

How To Do It

1. Assume a standard push-up position, but instead of your palms pressed against the floor, they should be gripping a pair of dumbbells that are resting on the floor. 
2. Alternate your arms as you row one dumbbell up to your trunk while keeping the other arm straight. 

Modifications

• Make It Easier: You can do renegade rows from a kneeling position if you aren’t ready to support yourself in a full plank just yet. 
• Make It Harder: Pause at the top of each rep, holding your upper arm snugly to your torso for a few seconds. 

Coach’s Tip: Avoid twisting your torso or sagging your hips as you row. 

14. Lateral Raise

Equipment Needed	Dumbbells
Muscles Worked	Lateral deltoids
Sets & Reps	2-3 x 12-20

For healthy, functional, and aesthetic shoulders, you need to train all three of the deltoid’s heads. To hit the middle, or lateral, aspect of your shoulder, you have to perform the lateral raise. It’s the only practical way. What piece of equipment is ideally suited for the lateral raise? A pair of dumbbells. 

How To Do It

1. Stand upright with a pair of dumbbells in each hand down at your sides. 
2. From here, slowly raise your arms outward and upward until they’re roughly parallel with the floor, palms pointing down.

Modifications

• Make It Easier: Bend your elbows to 90 degrees to reduce the tension on your shoulder joints.
• Make It Harder: Set an adjustable bench to a nearly-upright position and lean against it. This will remove your ability to use momentum during the exercise. 

Coach’s Tip: Raise the weights out and slightly forward for optimal deltoid contraction. 

3 Dumbbell Workouts To Try 

Want to put these moves into action? We’ve got you covered. Designing dumbbell workouts for muscle growth, strength, or any other fitness goal isn’t easy, so we’re taking the guesswork out of the equation. Here are a few of our favorite dumbbell-based workout routines:

Warm-Up

First things first, you’ll need to warm up, no matter what sort of workout you’re doing. 5 to 10 minutes of easy cardio exercise will get your blood pumping, so start there. Afterward, be sure to perform at least one ramp-up set before doing any dumbbell compound exercises. 

Upper-Body Dumbbell Workout 

Dumbbells let you work your arms or legs unilaterally, which ensures that your muscles grow at the same rate, without one side picking up slack for the other. Try this upper-body dumbbell workout to increase hypertrophy and build new muscle mass:

• Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 x 6
• Dumbbell Row: 3 x 8 
• Dumbbell Hammer Curl: 2 x 12 
• Dumbbell Skull Crusher: 2 x 12
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 x 15 

Dumbbell Leg Workout

Want to work your legs? You don’t have to do barbell squats. As long as you have access to some decently-heavy dumbbells, rest assured that you can train your legs without needing to head to the squat rack. 

• Goblet Squat: 3 x 10
• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift: 3 x 10
• Dumbbell Lunge: 2 x 12
• Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise: 2 x 20

Home Dumbbell Workout

If you want to workout at home but only have one pair of dumbbells, don’t worry. We have a workout for you. This workout is designed to be performed as a circuit; do these moves back-to-back with little to no rest in-between. 

Note: This workout is designed to be performed with a pair of 15-to-35-pound weights. If you have a heavier pair, consider changing up the rep ranges as needed.

• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift: 20 reps
• Dumbbell Floor Press: 15 reps
• Dumbbell Renegade Row: 15 reps
• Dumbbell Skull Crusher: 8 reps
• Dumbbell Hammer Curl: 8 reps 

Benefits of Dumbbell Training

Dumbbells are for everyone — first-time gymgoer and professional athlete alike. If you’re wondering why they’re so widely used in the fitness industry, rest assured that they’re far from a fad. 

They aren’t the be-all, end-all of exercise equipment, but working with dumbbells provides more than a few unique benefits that you should be mindful of.

Corrects Muscle Imbalances

By their very nature, dumbbells allow you to work each of your arms or legs independently — as well as the corresponding muscles that move those joints.

[Read More: The Best Online Workout Programs For Coaching, Cardio, Value, And More]

This allows you to identify, attack, and remedy any imbalances or side-to-side weaknesses you may have. While a barbell or fixed-path machine can sometimes mask these issues (since you’re moving a single piece of resistance with both your arms, for example), dumbbells will quickly show you where your weak spots are so you can take the right actions against them. 

Targets Weak Points

As the dumbbell is a single-side implement, you can think of it as more of a scalpel than a hammer. Barbell exercises are wonderful for stimulating a lot of muscles quickly and with high loads.

However, barbells can’t hold a candle to the precise stimulation and resistance offered by a dumbbell. You’d find it difficult, for instance, to properly target your side delts with another type of free weight.

Independent Movement

When working with adjustable dumbbells, your limbs have more freedom and less restriction than if you used another implement. This can be particularly helpful when performing exercises such as the bench press, where your individual anatomy strongly impacts your form.

No one is perfectly symmetrical side-to-side; dumbbells allow your body to move as it was designed to, rather than having to adhere to a rigid or cumbersome path. 

Teaches Motor Control

Single-arm (or leg) exercises do a lot more for your body than just stimulating the muscle or muscles in question. 

When you load one limb at a time, your body still has to stabilize and control the transfer of force between the weight itself and the surface you’re in contact with. In practical terms, this means that a single-arm press will tax your core as it attempts to stabilize your spine, providing some “bonus” ab training. 

This principle holds true for any movement you opt to perform with, or on, one limb. 

Builds Plenty of Strength

If your priority is maximal strength above all else and at any cost, you should probably spend a lot of time with the barbell — especially if you’re aspiring toward a strength sport like powerlifting.

Barring that, you shouldn’t forsake dumbbells in your pursuit of getting stronger in general. They’ll work just fine for strength, even if you aren’t lifting comparably heavy weights as you would in a similar barbell-based movement. (1)

Use Dumbbells to Lift Well

The equipment you use in the gym is less important than the sets and reps you select, which are less important than having motivation to be consistent in the first place.

That said, the devil is in the details when it comes to maximizing your fitness potential. Dumbbells shouldn’t make up your entire routine (though they certainly can) at all times, but they’re versatile, customizable, and easy to use. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you train your whole body with just dumbbells?

Yes! Dumbbells are incredibly versatile. With the right exercises in your arsenal, you can train your back, chest, arms, core, or legs. 

What are the best dumbbell exercises for beginners?

Dumbbells are great for beginners because they train your muscles and teach you how to stabilize your body while you work out. For beginners, we recommend moves like the dumbbell row, bench press, shoulder press, lunge, and Romanian deadlift.

Are 20lb dumbbells enough to gain muscle?

It depends. Strength is relative; 20 pounds may be quite heavy for you, but too easy for your gym partner. Compound exercises that involve motion at more than one joint will also allow you to lift more than 20 pounds eventually. That said, a pair of 20-pound dumbbells will remain useful on isolation moves like the lateral raise, skull crusher, or hammer curl for quite a while. 

References

1. Heinecke, M. L., Mauldin, M. L., Hunter, M. L., Mann, J. B., & Mayhew, J. L. (2021). Relationship of Barbell and Dumbbell Repetitions With One Repetition Maximum Bench Press in College Football Players. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 35(Suppl 1), S66–S71. 

April 2, 2024

It’s time to usher you into Part 2 of my exploration into nootropics, smart drugs, and psychedelics. If you thought Part 1 was a deep dive, brace yourself. You’ll get to plunge even further into the art of using natural and man-made ingredients for cognitive enhancement and mental expansion. 

In this installment, I’ll share the exact blueprints of my personal nootropic and psychedelic strategies — the stacks that I’ve honed over decades of self-experimentation, the dosages that I’ve found to be most effective, and how I align these tools with my daily activities to maximize their benefits. From enhancing your morning meditation and workout routines to supercharging your productivity for deep work sessions even when sleep-deprived, uncover how to incorporate and combine the vast list of cognitive enhancers from Part 1 into your weekly routine.

But it’s not all about pushing the envelope. I also delve into the critical importance of balance — how to listen to your body and mind to know when it’s time to dial back and allow for recovery. 

Whether you’re a seasoned nootropic veteran or just starting to explore the possibilities of enhancing your mental function, this two-part guide provides the insights and strategies you need to take your cognitive game to the next level.

P.S.: If you haven’t read Part 1 of this series yet, I encourage you to do so, as it will help you understand the basics of what nootropics and smart drugs are and how they work.

How to Enhance the Effects of Nootropics and Smart Drugs 

Certain compounds can enhance the effects of nootropics, smart drugs, and psychedelics (addressed later in this article) and even prevent the crash so often associated with such brain boosters. These compounds, specifically the following types, work primarily by providing you with molecules and nutrients that can quickly become depleted as your brain works harder and faster. 

When you intelligently combine your nootropics, smart drugs, and psychedelics with choline donors, amino acids, adaptogens, neurovitamins, neurominerals, anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, and peptides, you can prevent many of the deficiencies, jittery side effects, and crashes that tend to arise with high, frequent doses of brain-boosters, as well as enhance and prolong the effects of your supplementation protocol.

Now, let’s dive in…

1. Choline Donors 

Choline is an essential nutrient for brain development, detoxification, metabolism, muscle movement, digestion, and liver and gallbladder function. Choline donors work through different pathways in the nervous system to ensure your brain and body get adequate amounts of choline. When you are deficient in choline, you are more likely to crash after using a brain-booster, and the brain-booster itself may not work as efficiently. The following are the most potent choline donors.

CENTROPHENOXINE

Centrophenoxine protects the brain, enhances and improves working memory, and has anti-aging and antioxidant effects. Effective doses range from one to three doses of 250mg per day, but elderly individuals may respond better to three to six doses per day.

CITICOLINE

Citicoline (a combination of choline and cytidine) reduces memory impairment, cognitive decline, and brain damage, and improves learning and attention. Effective doses range from 1 to 2g per day.

ALPHA GPC

Alpha GPC helps to prevent cognitive decline, protects the brain, reduces inflammation, and increases attention span, memory, and growth hormone production (which may also slow down the effects of aging and help you lose weight). An effective dose is 400mg three times per day.

2. Amino Acids

Amino acids are precursors to neurotransmitters and perform many physiological functions, such as repairing tissues, providing energy, improving mental and physical performance, and helping to grow or maintain muscle. The specific amino acids listed below are especially beneficial for the brain.

ACETYL-L-CARNITINE

Acetyl-L-carnitine can easily cross the blood-brain barrier and enhance cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and focus. It also improves brain energy metabolism, reduces fatigue, and has potent anti-aging and brain-protecting effects, and it can induce the production of more mitochondria, which increases energy production. Effective doses range from 500 to 1,500mg per day.

N-ACETYL-TYROSINE

N-acetyl-tyrosine improves focus, motivation, memory, learning, and mood. Effective doses range from 500 to 2,000mg per day.

Some research indicates that the effectiveness of tyrosine supplementation depends on proper neurotransmitter synthesis and function. This means your response to tyrosine may depend on the health of your neurotransmitters. 

TAURINE

Taurine acts as an antioxidant and can improve memory, reduce anxiety, and promote sleep and relaxation. Effective doses range from 500 to 2,000mg, although doses as high as 3,000mg can be taken with little risk of adverse effects.

L-THEANINE

L-theanine is also an antioxidant with neuroprotective properties. It can improve mood, focus, and memory, reduce anxiety, and promote sleep and relaxation. Effective doses range from 100 to 200mg daily.

I have found that 400mg added to a cup of coffee can significantly reduce caffeine’s side effects, such as excessive wakefulness or jitters.

DL-PHENYLALANINE

DL-phenylalanine is a combination of two forms of the essential amino acid phenylalanine — the “D” form and the “L” form — and can easily cross the blood-brain barrier. DL-phenylalanine enhances mental alertness, mood, memory, and learning and reduces pain and depression. Effective doses range from 1 to 5g per day.

As a word of caution, some people may not be able to handle phenylalanine due to a condition called phenylketonuria (PKU). PKU is a genetic disorder characterized by a deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase, the enzyme that breaks down phenylalanine. When excess phenylalanine accumulates, it can lead to growth failure, microcephaly (an abnormally small head, often due to poor brain development), seizures, developmental delay, severe intellectual impairment, and, in mild cases, a musty odor in the breath, skin rashes, hyperactivity, and anxiety.

There are less severe forms, such as variant PKU and non-PKU hyperphenylalaninemia, that are associated with a smaller risk of brain damage, and people with very mild cases of PKU may not even require treatment (as long as they consume a low-phenylalanine diet). PKU can be easily detected with a simple blood test, and all states in the United States require a PKU test for every newborn — so if you live in the United States, you likely already know whether or not you have it.

ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (EAAS)

The nine essential amino acids (EAAs) — histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine — are essential because your body can’t produce them on its own; you must consume them via diet or supplements.

A balanced supply of EAAs is necessary for optimal brain function, and while there is limited information on the precise mechanisms by which different EAAs benefit cognition, research suggests that amino acids such as histidine and tryptophan are necessary for neurotransmitter function and neuronal signaling.

Rather than taking all of the amino acids listed above individually, you can try my shotgun approach, which is to take a blend of EAAs mixed in a precise ratio to make them as effective as possible. This is actually the exact ratio in Kion Aminos. I dose with about 10–20g per day.

3. Neurovitamins

Many vitamins can enhance brain regulation and developmental processes and prevent damage to neurons. The following are the best vitamins to enhance any nootropic or smart drug you use.

VITAMIN B1

Also known as thiamine, vitamin B1 is best taken in the fat-soluble form benfotiamine, which increases energy, mood, and alertness and reduces pain and advanced glycation end products (compounds that accelerate brain degeneration).

Research suggests that, since high doses of vitamin B1 usually result in large amounts of unabsorbed B1 being excreted, doses of 30mg per day are sufficient. As a word of caution, alcohol can inhibit the efficient absorption of vitamin B1, so if you want the full benefits of vitamin B1, limit or avoid alcohol on days you take vitamin B1.

VITAMIN B3

Vitamin B3, when consumed in the form of niacinamide (also called nicotinamide) can reduce inflammation, anxiety, and age-related cognitive impairment. An effective dose is 15mg per day, but people suffering from trauma, hypoxia, stress, or genetic mutations can benefit from higher doses. The supplements NR, NMN, or NAD are even better ways to boost niacinamide since they can simultaneously raise NAD+, a molecule your body uses to regulate cellular metabolism, aging, and DNA repair. 

VITAMIN B5

Vitamin B5’s water-soluble form calcium pantothenate improves concentration, memory, and learning and reduces brain fog. Effective doses range from 500 to 1,000mg per day.

VITAMIN B6

When taken in the highly bioactive form pyridoxal-5-phosphate, vitamin B6 increases mental and physical energy, prevents neuronal damage, and plays a role in memory formation, focus, motivation, and mood and sleep regulation. Effective doses are 1.5mg per day for healthy women and 2mg per day for healthy men, although women who are pregnant or lactating may need to take up to 2mg.

VITAMIN B12

When taken in the form of methylcobalamin, vitamin B12 can improve mood, memory, focus, and energy and reduce anxiety, pain, and cognitive decline. Effective doses range from 1 to 2mg per day.

VITAMIN C

Vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid has antioxidant and neuroprotective effects, reduces fatigue, and improves mood and blood flow. Effective doses range from 90 to 150mg per day.

VITAMIN D3

When taken in an absorbable form like cholecalciferol or, even better, the calcifediol found in the supplement d.velop, vitamin D3 has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and delays brain degeneration and cognitive decline. Effective doses range from 1,500 to 2,000 IU per day.

Interestingly, many people (including me!) have genetic factors, such as high pigmentation or interference with the conversion of cholesterol to vitamin D in response to sunlight, that prevent them from properly synthesizing vitamin D from sun exposure. This can be ascertained with a salivary genetic test that looks at the genes CYP27B1 and GC. These individuals may need to supplement with vitamin D3 no matter how much sunlight they get. 

Just be sure that if you use vitamin D3, you pair it with vitamin K2 at about 100–150 mcg per day, and magnesium at about 200–400 mg per day. Otherwise, you’ll experience poor absorption and the potential for build-up of excess calcium in your blood. 

4. Adaptogens

Adaptogens are plant extracts that protect your body and brain from the effects of excess stress. A veritable Swiss army knife for your physiology, they have been shown to support neurogenesis, hormone production, and adrenal and HPA axis regulation, regulate cellular energy homeostasis, regenerate tissue, and improve learning and memory. Listed below are several of my favorites.

MUCUNA PRURIENS

Mucuna pruriens enhances mood, reduces anxiety and stress, protects the brain, stimulates sex drive, and increases focus and motivation. Effective doses range from 12.5 to 17.5mg per kilogram of body weight per day.

COLEUS FORSKOHLII

Coleus forskohlii improves learning, memory, and mental stamina and reduces fatigue and inflammation. Effective doses are about 7.5g per day for healthy women and about 9g for healthy men.

RHODIOLA ROSEA (RHODIOLA)

Rhodiola improves mood, motivation, memory, and concentration and reduces fatigue and oxidative stress. Research suggests that daily rhodiola use as low as 50mg can reduce fatigue, while safe neural enhancement occurs at 1,500mg per day.

REISHI

Reishi, one of my favorite adaptogenic mushrooms for relaxation, can reduce fatigue and depression, take the “edge” off if you happen to be, say, overcaffeinated or overstimulated, and, as a bonus, has potential anticancer properties. Effective doses of reishi extract are 5 to 10g per day. 

5. Neurominerals

Neurominerals, like neurovitamins, are highly absorbable and can cross the blood-brain barrier to improve cognition. They are necessary for a host of physiological processes and, when combined, enhance each other’s effects.

LITHIUM OROTATE

The mineral lithium orotate preserves cognitive function, improves mood, and detoxifies the brain. Lithium has also been reported to be beneficial as an Alzheimer’s treatment. Effective doses range from 5 to 150mg per day.

MAGNESIUM THREONATE

Magnesium threonate is the most effective form for increasing magnesium ions in the brain and improving cognitive function. It can improve learning, memory, sleep quality, and mood and reduce anxiety and the effects of neuropathic pain (pain caused by nerve damage). Research suggests that high doses of around 600mg per kilogram of body weight are effective.

You’ll find this type of magnesium in BIOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough, the only magnesium supplement with all seven bioavailable forms of magnesium that your body needs (use code BEN10 to save 10%).

ZINC PICOLINATE

Zinc picolinate is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-system-boosting mineral that also helps improve memory, mood, and neuronal growth. Research suggests that the current recommended intake of zinc — 8 to 14mg per day — is effective at maintaining homeostasis. Mild zinc deficiency can be treated with two to three times this amount and moderate to severe deficiency with four to five times this amount.

6. Anti-inflammatories and Antioxidants

These compounds specifically address oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain. They also support the transport and utilization of nutrients and regulate nervous system stimulation, hormonal secretion, and cholesterol levels. The best anti-inflammatories and antioxidants for the brain also tend to support mitochondrial health and cellular longevity.

PQQ

PQQ reduces neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, promotes neuronal growth and survival, and improves sleep, energy, memory, and stress response. PQQ also has potent mitochondrial and anti-aging properties. An effective dose is 0.3mg per day.

QUERCETIN

Quercetin, found in fruits and vegetables, can delay cognitive decline, protect neurons from toxins, regulate estrogen and androgen, and reduce inflammation. As a natural antihistamine, it’s also been shown to stabilize mast cells (the immune cells that release histamines). Effective doses range from 50 to 150mg per kilogram of body weight per day.

CURCUMIN

Curcumin is the active component of the spice turmeric. It possesses powerful anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects and can improve memory and mood, reduce oxidative stress and chronic pain, and delay aging. An effective dose is up to 8g per day. Curcumin can be made far more absorbable by blending it with oils such as coconut oil or combining it with black pepper or the black pepper extract called piperine.

DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID (DHA)

DHA is the omega-3 fatty acid most abundant in your brain. It has been shown to improve memory, learning, and mood and reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and telomere shortening (a chromosomal indication of how fast you are aging). Effective doses range from 500 to 1,000mg daily.

GREEN TEA EXTRACT

Green tea extract enhances learning abilities, memory, and blood flow, delays aging, and may reduce anxiety and chronic fatigue. When green tea extract is paired with quercetin and L-theanine, the cognitive effects become synergistic, meaning they enhance each other to produce a greater effect. Effective doses range from 50 to 500mg per day, although higher doses have been associated with side effects like nausea.

BIOPERINE

Bioperine is derived from the black pepper extract piperine. It increases the absorption of other nutrients, has anti-inflammatory effects (especially when combined with curcumin), and increases motivation, focus, productivity, and reasoning skills, while stabilizing mood. An effective dose is 20mg per day.

5-HTP

5-HTP (or 5-hydroxytryptophan) is like the precursor to serotonin, that feel-good neurotransmitter that keeps your mood balanced and your brain humming smoothly. Supplementing with 5-HTP (I recommend Thorne’s formula) is like giving your body the raw materials it needs to keep the happiness flowing, promote restful sleep, and help you cope with stress. A typical dosage is about 100mg taken once or twice daily.

GABA

GABA is the brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter. Think of it as the chill pill of your nervous system, helping to dial down anxiety and promote relaxation. An effective dose is about 250mg per day. I also recommend Thorne’s GABA supplements, which help your brain put the brakes on overexcitement, leading to a calmer, more focused state of mind. 

7. Peptides

No discussion of cognitive enhancement would be complete without addressing peptides, which are short amino acid sequences that target intended cells to elicit certain effects — including slowed aging, fat loss, muscle gain, sexual enhancement, and better brain function — with laser-like specificity.

For example, the peptide Semax is one of my favorite nootropic-like peptides. It was originally synthesized in Russia during the 1980s with the express intention of improving cognitive function. In addition to stimulating the central nervous system, it works to modulate receptor sensitivity for a variety of neurotransmitters and brain chemicals, including acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, adenosine, and histamine. Like most peptides, Semax is so potent that only small doses are needed to achieve the desired results. For most people, 0.5 to 1.0mg per day is plenty. 

For an even bigger boost in brain function, Semax works quite well when combined with the peptide Selank, which usually comes in a nasal spray and can be used as two sprays once daily. Selank alone can simulate stimulants, tranquilizers, ADHDA treatments, and antidepressants all at once. It is also well-studied for cognitive recovery from strokes and can speed up recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Dihexa is another peptide I like for the brain, as it can reverse neurological damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease, and is useful for treating Parkinson’s disease.

Finally, in my opinion, the two strongest cognitive-enhancing peptides are P21 and Adamax. You can think of P21 as a heavy-duty brain repairer and Adamax as a heavy-duty nootropic. P21 is so powerful that it boosts neurogenesis in Alzheimer’s brains above that of normal controls. It can enhance neurogenesis and boost the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that plays a key role in promoting the growth, survival, and differentiation of neurons in the brain. It can also repair brain damage, and in rodent models, has a strong anti-Alzheimer’s effect (in rats). For brain fog, mental clarity, word recall, and verbal acuity, nothing beats it. I recommend stacking it with Adamax, a more potent form of Semax with enhanced BBB penetration.

Though I’ve given “per day” references, I don’t recommend stacking all these peptides every day. These days, I use a Semax/Selank combo about twice a week and an Adamax/P21 combo twice a week. VIP, a useful peptide for brain mold and mycotoxin issues, is something I also use about twice a week. 

You should know that many peptides aren’t technically FDA-approved because they aren’t patentable; therefore, you won’t see them recommended by most mainstream health authorities or mentioned on most health websites. While most peptides are not outright illegal, their legal status depends on their intended use, claims made about them, and whether they are FDA-approved for a specific use. Most peptides are not FDA-approved, which means they haven’t undergone the FDA’s rigorous review process for safety, effectiveness, and quality. Given the unregulated nature of peptides and their exclusion from FDA approval, sourcing them can be challenging. 

To dive further into peptide stacks, check out my podcast episode with Jay Campbell and my peptides resources page. 

The Best Brain-Boosting Stacks

There are over a thousand websites and hundreds of reference guides chock-full of complicated methods for combining the compounds described in this article, similar to the peptide stacks I just mentioned. There is a reason for this: as you have probably guessed by now, stacking nootropics can be far more effective than consuming a single, lonely nootropic in isolation. 

For example, adding choline or L-theanine to your morning coffee can make your brain feel fresh for hours. Mixing curcumin with black pepper can dramatically amp up the neural anti-inflammatory effects of both. Combating the edge of microdosed LSD or psilocybin with an adaptogen like reishi or rhodiola can assist with any jittery feelings. 

If you want to reduce anxiety and depression but don’t necessarily care to enhance your cognitive performance and don’t need to get through a day of sleep deprivation, you could stick to a single nootropic that increases dopamine levels, such as Mucuna pruriens or tryptophan.

But if experimentation isn’t your thing, I’ve listed the best stacks and done-for-you supplement blends I have used — the tried-and-true mixes that combine ultimate efficacy and safety with no nasty crashes or jitters. Check them out below:

1. Caffeine and Nicotine

Coffee and cigarettes have long been a popular combination. Think back to the 1950s image of a man in a tailored suit perfectly pairing his black brew with a cigarette hanging out the corner of his mouth as he enjoys the Sunday paper. 

Aside from the obvious pleasure some derive from this traditional combo, are there any benefits to simultaneously smoking and drinking coffee?

According to one study, it turns out that when compared to smokers who regularly consumed coffee, smokers who didn’t drink coffee had twice as much of the cell damage associated with tobacco use. Regular smokers who drank coffee less than twice a week had double the chances of developing cancer than those who drank coffee more frequently. So ultimately, coffee-drinking cigarette smokers have some health advantages over their smoking counterparts who don’t drink coffee.

Of course, the antioxidant content of coffee may not be the only smoking savior. And no, it is not the tobacco and nasty chemicals in a cigarette that work the magic: as other studies have proved, it is nicotine. Nicotine is pretty powerful stuff, enhancing not only locomotive performance (the ability to move with greater control and precision) and cognitive performance when combined with coffee but also ramping up exercise performance by 18 percent to 21 percent all on its own!

How do I pull off this stack? I sometimes suck on 1mg nicotine toothpicks as I down a cup of coffee (the cinnamon flavor of the toothpicks blends quite nicely with a cup of joe). 

Finally, should you want to amp this stack up a notch for even more memory and cognition enhancement, drop a sprig of rosemary in your coffee, which has been researched for these effects, and also lends a pleasant, herbaceous flavor to your brew.

2. Caffeine and L-Theanine

Most people, especially slow caffeine oxidizers, find that they can eliminate the negative side effects of caffeine (such as jitteriness and headaches) by adding L-theanine to their caffeine source of choice. Research suggests that caffeine and L-theanine together can boost concentration, focus, and energy while reducing anxiety.

For this stack, use a ratio of four parts L-theanine to one part caffeine — for example, 400mg of L-theanine with 100mg of caffeine. You may want to start with a smaller dose, such as 200mg of L-theanine and 50mg of caffeine, then work your way up to find the best dose for you. (As a reference point, an 8-ounce cup of coffee has about 100mg of caffeine.)

The beauty of this stack is that nature has already given you a perfectly packaged combination of caffeine and L-theanine in green tea, whether in the form of a cup of green tea, a bowl of matcha tea, or even a green tea extract supplement (green tea has less caffeine than coffee — about 25mg per 8-ounce cup).

Caffeine and L-theanine make a particularly convenient combination during those times when you don’t want the excess stimulation of caffeine in isolation, such as a late-evening dinner or the latter stages of a workday.

3. Caffeine, Tulsi, and Astragalus

Tulsi is one of the greatest calming adaptogens that exists and has been trusted and revered for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine and culture. Research suggests that tulsi can improve mood, support digestion, and promote stable energy levels. Because it is also an anxiolytic (meaning it reduces anxiety), tulsi, like L-theanine, helps reduce caffeine’s overstimulating effects.

You can also blend tulsi with Astragalus propinquus (astragalus), which, in Chinese medicine, is a boundlessly invigorating herb that provides a stable source of energy. Astragalus contains an enormous variety of saponins, flavonoids, and polysaccharides and, when paired with antioxidant-rich coffee and tulsi, it creates a match made in longevity heaven. For this blend, which I often make if drinking coffee in the afternoon, I am a fan of the Four Sigmatic Adaptogen Coffee, which contains coffee, astragalus, tulsi, and cinnamon.

4. Ginkgo, Bacopa, and Lion’s Mane

This unique stack boosts mental focus, memory, learning, and cognitive performance while reducing anxiety and depression. I have found that it can significantly boost mental alertness for around six hours at a time without any jitteriness or irritability. It is important to allow a grace period of about twelve weeks of daily supplementation before you feel the stack’s full potential, so don’t expect immediate results.

A typical dose for this combination is 500mg of lion’s mane per day, 240mg of ginkgo per day, and 100mg of Bacopa twice per day. For example, you could throw back a packet of Four Sigmatic lion’s mane extract with a Beekeeper’s Naturals Bacopa and gingko Brain Fuel shot. Small amounts (between 100 and 200mg) of the psychedelic psilocybin can enhance this stack.

5. Artichoke and Forskolin

Research suggests that artichoke extract supplements (made from the leaves of artichokes) possess potent antioxidant properties and reduce levels of blood-vessel-damaging cholesterol particles. Forskolin, derived from Coleus forskohlii, is one of the few compounds known to naturally boost cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate), which reduces brain inflammation, strengthens the blood-brain barrier, and improves neural signaling in your brain.

I have experienced enhanced memory and word recall when consuming this stack. Tim Ferriss talked about it quite a bit in my podcast with him, specifically referencing its presence in the supplement NEUROFUEL (formerly known as Ciltep). Made primarily from artichoke extract and forskolin, NEUROFUEL also contains vitamin B6, L-phenylalanine, and acetyl-L-carnitine. It is recommended that you take two to three capsules at the beginning of each day and skip dosing one or two days per week to achieve optimal results.

6. Alpha-GPC, AC-11, Bacopa, and Huperzine A

This combination is found in the supplement Alpha BRAIN from Onnit (use code Ben for 10% off food and supplements). According to a clinical trial conducted by the Boston Center for Memory, Alpha BRAIN can increase cognitive performance for healthy individuals and may boost memory and learning capacity.

Alpha-GPC has several benefits. It provides choline (which increases the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine) and appears to support cellular membranes and reduce cognitive decline. AC-11 is derived from the rainforest herb Uncaria tomentosa, and research suggests that it may be able to help slow the development of cancer due to its DNA-repairing antioxidant properties.

Bacopa is known to enhance memory and aid in treating dementia, Parkinson’s, and epilepsy. Huperzine A is derived from the Chinese club moss Huperzia serrata. Research suggests that it improves neurotransmitter levels and may also improve memory and protect neurons, making it a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s and related conditions.

As a word of caution, a recent review of the scientific literature found that the quality of the evidence supporting the use of huperzine A is low, so there is still debate over this particular nootropic. If you take a cholinesterase inhibitor like donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), or galantamine (Razadyne) — which are all used to prevent or manage Alzheimer’s — the Alzheimer’s Association officially recommends not taking huperzine A.

This stack seems to work best if you take it daily for about two weeks. After that, the effects become more pronounced over time, so, as with the ginkgo, Bacopa, and lion’s mane stack, you need to let this blend build up in your system before you judge its overall effectiveness.

7. TianChi Chinese Adaptogenic Herb Complex

The list of herbs and ingredients in the supplement TianChi is too long to include here, but it contains nearly every Chinese adaptogen and natural nootropic described in this article. So when it comes to a nonsynthetic approach to mental enhancement, this blend tops the list. 

The herbs in TianChi are gathered from their native, wild environments or are organically grown, non-GMO, kosher-certified, non-irradiated, and pesticide-free, then formulated in small batches by a friend of mine named Roger Drummer, a repeat podcast guest who is a Chinese herbal medicine practitioner in Oregon. 

Most adaptogens in today’s market are a standardized 5:1 extract, meaning that it takes five pounds of herbs to make one pound of extract. This is not always effective because some herbs may have to be extracted at a 10:1 ratio to actually be strong enough to be efficacious. The adaptogens in TianChi are extracted at a 45:1 ratio, making this one of the most potent blends available.

I have found the brain-boosting effects of TianChi to be even more enhanced when consumed with beet juice or beet powder, probably due to beets’ vasodilating effect. This is one of my favorite blends to mix up midmorning or midafternoon on an empty stomach for a clear-headed cognitive high. If you are trying to avoid anything even remotely synthetic, TianChi is a good choice for you.

8. Qualia

Like TianChi, the nootropic blend Qualia Mind is a shotgun approach, providing over forty different ingredients, including all the adaptogens, neurovitamins, amino acids, choline donors, anti-inflammatories, and antioxidants. It also contains the synthetic nootropic noopept, which is about a thousand times more potent than piracetam, a popular compound for memory and focus. Additionally, it includes a few other helpful ingredients, such as curcumin, piperine, and, if you opt for the caffeinated version, caffeine.

9. Kava and Kratom

Kava is an extract from the Piper methysticum plant. In the South Pacific, it’s a popular drink that is used in ceremonies and for relaxation. Kavalactones in kava are believed to be responsible for its effects on reducing anxiety. It’s also traditionally used for stress, withdrawal from benzodiazepines, feelings of well-being, and sleeping issues. 

This obviously doesn’t make kava sound like much of a nootropic, but when combined with the Southeast Asian plant extract kratom, (Mitragyna speciosa), derived from the leaf of a tropical deciduous tree within the coffee family, the result is a notable combination. Kratom is often used for various purposes, including improving mood, acting as an anxiolytic, aiding in insomnia, providing pain relief, boosting energy, serving as an anti-inflammatory, and lowering blood sugar levels. It elevates mood and euphoria, enhances physical endurance, and improves anxiety and depression.

So when you combine kratom and kava, a combination you can find in drinks such as Feel Free and/or New Brew, you get simultaneous euphoria and energy with relaxed focus. The only problem? Like nicotine, kratom can be very addictive and produce withdrawal symptoms like sleeplessness, irritability, and restless legs if you use too much too often and then suddenly stop. 

10. Nootopia

No, Nootopia is not some new fringe foreign country located off the coast of Madagascar or found deep in the heart of the Amazon. Rather, Nootopia is a black box that contains custom-selected nootropics and smart drugs, all hand-selected for you based on a special quiz, then delivered to your front doorstep. 

Nootopia has nineteen different formulations at its disposal for everything from verbal fluency and word recall to focus and creativity, available in a variety of capsules, liquids, and powders. 

Microdosing Psychedelics 

My experience with psychedelics originally spanned several years of tripping out with everything from psilocybin truffles to DMT inhalation to dropping acid to sipping ayahuasca. 

But several years ago, upon researching more and realizing the traditional history of large doses of these compounds in sorcery, shamanism, witchcraft, and the occult — primarily for divining with the spirit world — I came to the conclusion that their use clashed with my own Christian beliefs, and seemed to be paradoxically drawing me away from sober time spent in prayer, reading my Bible and other important elements of my spiritual disciplines and religious practice.

So, I no longer endorse or practice so-called “journeying” with drugs myself, but I still acknowledge their potential benefits when used in smaller, non-psychedelic doses. For more insight, check out part 1 and part 2 of an article series I wrote about my stance on plant medicine.

When you take a microdose of a psychedelic, it is typically referred to as a sub-perceptual dose, achieved by ingesting tiny amounts of these compounds to induce a noticeable and overall positive physical and mental effect. Sub-perceptual doses do not have a significant impact on your ability to function normally, but the effects are present in your mood and behavior. The lowest dose of a particular psychedelic that will produce a hallucinogenic effect is known as the threshold dose; since the goal is not to get a hallucinogenic effect, a microdose can be well below a psychedelic’s threshold dose.

By integrating microdosing into a weekly routine, you can achieve greater creativity, more energy, improved mood, increased focus, and better relational skills. There is a growing body of research that suggests that microdosing may also assist with depression and anxiety, help with mild alcohol and tobacco addiction, and mitigate ADD and ADHD behaviors. 

Microdosing Psilocybin

Psilocybin is naturally produced by more than two hundred species of fungi, otherwise known as “magic mushrooms.” Research from archaeological evidence suggests that humans have used psilocybin mushrooms for over seven thousand years. I have personally found microdoses of psilocybin to be best for nature immersions, hiking, journaling, and self-discovery.

Psilocybin primarily interacts with the serotonin receptors in the brain and has been used in therapeutic settings to treat headaches, anxiety, depression, addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

There is limited data to show any adverse drug interactions with the use of psilocybin, and liver function, blood sugar, and hormonal regulation all appear to be unaffected during consumption. (However, to avoid any issues with significant neurotransmitter imbalances, it is best to avoid alcohol and serotonin-based antidepressants while taking any psychedelics.)

Where to Buy Psychedelics

There are a variety of websites that sell psychedelics, but not all sources contain good-quality ingredients, nor is there any guarantee that the substance you purchase is not laced with undesirable compounds.

I have personally found the following three resources to be quite helpful when purchasing psychedelics or finding a quality source:

• The Third Wave: This website offers a host of valuable information and downloadable PDFs on dosing, sourcing, safety, and techniques — and even an entire instructional course on microdosing.
• Reddit: Reddit contains many helpful personal anecdotes that are voted up or down by other users, and although it is rife with stories that may not apply to your specific situation, I’ve found it to be a helpful resource for discovering what DIY biohackers and psychedelic users are experimenting with in their own protocols.
• RealChems: RealChems sources synthetic versions of 1P-LSD, ALD-52, ETH-LAD, AL-LAD, 4-AcO-DMT, and many other psychedelic and nootropic “research chemicals” that are “not sold for human consumption” (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

For most of the psychedelic purchases you make online, you usually need to use cryptocurrency and, in most cases, if you want to remain anonymous, a Tor browser or other cloaked browser. Availability seems to be changing with increasing legality, and I’ve stumbled across some nootropic companies, such as Wukiyo, that have a psilocybin and herb combination called Bliss that can be ordered online.

A psilocybin microdose ranges from 0.1 to 0.5g. I recommend you start at the lower end of the dosing range with this and any of the other psychedelics mentioned in this article. Trust me: you don’t want to dose up for a creative day of work and find yourself daydreaming under your desk while jamming to the Grateful Dead. 

For psilocybin in particular, you can combine a small dose with lion’s mane and niacin in a morning cup of tea for a very slight sensory boost without any distracting trip or gastric upset. Interestingly, blue lotus extract — which is commonly known as an aphrodisiac but can also result in a significant release of the psychedelic compound DMT (dimethyltryptamine) by the pineal gland — can be combined with psilocybin alone or the blend above for an even more pronounced effect that many describe as something similar to an ecstasy (MDMA) experience. 

Your pineal gland normally releases small amounts of DMT, but it is also found in some plants and can be chemically synthesized. When ingested in high amounts, it can result in a very noticeable, ego-dissolving psychedelic journeying effect, while smaller amounts have a pleasant nootropic effect. Blue lotus can upregulate your own production of DMT, or when taken with DMT, can magnify its effects. Essential Oil Wizardry is a brand I’d suggest checking out.

Microdosing LSD

Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD, is derived from a chemical in rye fungus. It was originally synthesized in 1938 to aid in childbirth and is widely known for its powerful hallucinogenic effects. It is less well known for what I use it for — inducing intense sparks of creativity when a merging of the left and right brain hemispheres is the desired goal, such as a day on which I need to do a great deal of creative writing or copywriting. It also works quite well for keeping you chugging along on a sleep-deprived or jet-lagged day.

Like psilocybin, LSD affects serotonin levels in the body. A dose of LSD dramatically increases levels of serotonin in the brain, which causes a feel-good dopamine release. Research suggests that LSD may also reduce blood flow to the control centers of the brain, which weakens their activity and allows for higher amounts of creativity and simultaneous use of both the right and left hemispheres of the brain, allowing for a potent combination of analytical and creative thinking that would normally be difficult to tap into. This enhanced brain connectivity is likely why users experience increased creativity and unique thought patterns. 

A typical LSD microdose ranges from 5 to 20 micrograms (not milligrams!). My own approach for dosing LSD is called the volumetric dosing method. I buy blotter paper of LSD or P-LSD, then cut out a square of 100 mcg with scissors and drop it into a 10-milliliter dropper bottle of vodka.

I then know that a single drop of the liquid contains a neat 10 micrograms of LSD. This helps me avoid the inaccurate dosing so notoriously associated with simply cutting out a square of paper and placing it in your mouth, except for that awkward time when I did the math wrong and took 100mcg — right before a massage session! If you take slightly too much LSD, a small dose of CBD (between 10 and 20mg) or any of the adaptogenic herbs in this article seems to take the edge off.

Microdosing Ibogaine

Ibogaine is derived from iboga, an evergreen shrub native to the rainforests in central Africa whose root bark has high concentrations of psychedelic compounds. It has a rich history in the Bwiti religion in Africa and has recently found its way into Western medicine to treat drug addictions, improve physical energy and cognitive performance (in microdoses), and cause a surge in positive emotions.

To microdose with ibogaine, find a tincture or root bark form (the root bark form is usually encapsulated). If you use a tincture, find a source that has the root bark extracted into its purest form and combined with iboga alkaloids. A single drop of an iboga tincture equates to about a 0.5mg microdose of ibogaine. In root bark form, an effective dose is 300 to 500mg.

I have found an iboga microdose to be most useful before a workout or any effort that combines both mental and physical demands, such as tennis, basketball, or energetic sex. It will make you hyperactive and jittery if taken just before a day of desk work, which makes sense when you consider that African tribes traditionally whipped themselves into a frenzied pre-battle state on ibogaine.

Microdosing Huachuma

Microdosing with huachuma, also known as San Pedro cactus or mescaline, can have subtle yet profound effects, particularly on social and human connectivity. The magic behind huachuma’s social alchemy lies in its primary psychoactive component, mescaline, which interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain. At doses as low as 200 to 300mg, mescaline binds to these receptors, particularly the 5-HT2A receptor. This can lead to increased serotonin release, promoting feelings of well-being and empathy. 

The intricate interplay between mescaline and serotonin pathways may contribute to the reported cognitive and social benefits observed during microdosing with huachuma.

This interaction can elevate mood, induce feelings of empathy, and enhance interpersonal communication. Mescaline’s serotonin modulation may contribute to an increased awareness of emotional nuances, making social interactions more nuanced and meaningful.

People often describe a heightened ability to read nonverbal cues, fostering a deeper connection with others and an improved understanding of social dynamics. This chemical dance within the brain, when orchestrated in microdoses, creates a cocktail of social experience-upgrading effects that make a small dose perfect in my case for a social function or a date night with my wife.

Microdosing Ketamine

Ketamine is a general anesthetic commonly used on animals but originally devised for and tested on humans (in fact, my paramedic brother commonly uses it on the patients he transports in the ambulance). 

Ketamine received notoriety as a party drug in the 1990s but is now gaining momentum as a very effective treatment for depression, although I wouldn’t quite classify the dose being used in such settings as a microdose. 

When administered as an IV infusion, ketamine works very quickly on brain receptors and offers relief from depression symptoms in as little as twenty-four hours.

In contrast, traditional antidepressants can take up to eight weeks to become effective and are accompanied by a host of negative side effects that ketamine doesn’t seem to cause. These traditional antidepressants work by flooding neurotransmitters or blocking their reuptake in the central nervous system. But ketamine directly blocks glutamate and opiate receptors, both of which affect depression and pain responses, from being acted upon by neurotransmitters — resulting in a profound antidepressant effect without neurotransmitter desensitization, and, if a habit is halted within the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours after ketamine, an easier time breaking addictions.

Getting Started with Microdosing

For any of the psychedelic compounds discussed in this article, I recommend following the protocol laid out by James Fadiman in chapter 16 of his book Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide:

• Consume a microdose of your chosen psychedelic twice per week for ten weeks.
• Allow two to three days between each microdosing day (for example, consume your microdoses on Wednesdays and Sundays).
• Write about your experience and be mindful of your expectations and desires.
• Especially in the early stages of experimentation, use the compound in a familiar or controlled setting.
• At the end of the ten weeks (or however many weeks you microdose), reflect on your experience and ask yourself, “Did I accomplish my purpose for microdosing?”

For one of the more comprehensive and insightful guides on microdosing, I also recommend Michael Pollan’s book How to Change Your Mind, in which the author — an immersive journalist with little to no psychedelic experience — takes a deep dive into the world of psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and beyond.

The Last Word

When it comes to using chemistry, modern science, and ancestral wisdom to make your brain work better, there are obviously plenty of options. While I would urge you to use caution with smart drugs, I also encourage you to consider the use of both natural and synthetic nootropics to enhance both productivity and cognitive performance and to tap into the power of psychedelics for personal breakthroughs, creativity, and connectivity. 

While there’s no substitute for quality sleep, brain-supporting foods (like dark chocolate, fresh pressed olive oil, or sustainable omega-3 rich fish), and mitigation of environmental toxins and pollutants, experimenting with the stacks and supportive neurovitamins and neurominerals can be a truly mind-altering and brain-bettering experience, particularly if you feel as though your brain could use a boost.

Are you feeling a bit of paralysis by analysis with all these mind-altering tactics? Does it seem like there are too many choices?

Fear not: I have laid out an example of how I personally weave all these compounds together into a week.

While you may not find yourself mixing up a magic mushroom homebrew in your kitchen anytime soon, a bit of better living through science, a few choice herbs, and nootropics may be exactly what you need to upgrade your productivity, creativity, and overall cognitive performance. 

You are now equipped with every shred of knowledge necessary to do so, whether you choose a risky smart drug approach, a natural nootropic approach, a synthetic nootropic approach, a psychedelic approach, or a blend of all four.

Every day

I have a cup of black coffee or mushroom or adaptogenic tea every morning. If I consume any extra coffee in the afternoon, I add tulsi, reishi, astragalus, or L-theanine to it. If I am using coffee to help me plow through a demanding day or a period of sleep deprivation, I occasionally combine it with nicotine. On my hardest workout days of the week, I usually throw back a can of Update or New Brew prior.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday

I take Qualia, Wukiyo, Notable, or Nootopia on busier days when intense work demands arise, especially if I need enhanced creativity or, faster word recall or brain processing speed (for example, if I am being interviewed for a podcast or speaking on stage). 

You don’t have to own and use all those aforementioned brands, but I just happen to because I’m a health podcaster with a garage full of supplements. If I have been traveling or am jet-lagged, I will include a dose of methylene blue to mitigate neuroinflammation, and if sleep-deprived, NAD and creatine.

Thursday

Thursdays tend to be less busy. I take TianChi if I need to gently boost blood flow and want to keep neural inflammation at bay. If I am doing more intense studying, reading, meditating (perhaps while utilizing Muse), or memorizing, I’ll pop a Beekeeper’s Brain Fuel or add a touch of lion’s mane into the mix.

Friday

This is often a creative writing, problem-solving, and brainstorming day. I often microdose with psilocybin or LSD in the morning to enhance the coordination between my left and right brain hemispheres. Joovv is another light therapy device I turn to on Fridays, the weekends, or whenever I need extra support for my overall mental and physical well-being. 

Saturday

This is my off day. I try to consume no brain-boosters aside from a piping-hot cup of coffee. You gotta take a break sometimes, right? I also make a point to get solid sleep to naturally boost my mood, energy, and recovery. I turn to tools like the Apollo wearable (use code BG15 for 15% off) to help me chill out more easily, and AYO, the first circadian health wearable, to improve the amount of restorative sleep I get. 

Sunday

I devote Sundays to spiritual disciplines, personal exploration (such as with my Spiritual Disciplines Journal), a hefty dose of neurogenesis, breathwork (with help from The Breath Source or Othership), and the occasional massage. On these days, I use a more potent neuron-sprouting and ego-dissolving mix: a microdose of psilocybin blended with lion’s mane extract and niacin, and, for a massage, a microdose of ketamine.

Throughout the Week

Depending on my schedule, goals, and mood, other therapies and devices I throw into the weekly mix to amplify the effects of nootropics and supplements include:

• Grounding, specifically with the Ultimate Longevity grounding sleep mat. Grounding, aka “earthing,” offers impressive benefits for my sleep, focus, and blood sugar control, and for fighting anxiety, stiffness, and inflammation, including while I’m traveling.
• Infrasonic waves, which I get from the Sensate device and app. This device, which is worn around the head, utilizes intrasonic waves to stimulate the autonomic nervous system, resulting in rapid relaxation, heightened sleep quality, and increased self-regulation abilities (use code BGL for $30 off).
• The BrainTap headset is an LED visor and head device that uses immersive audio to complement meditation, visualization, and breathwork practices. It’s useful for boosting creativity, fighting mental blocks and negative thinking, and improving concentration and problem-solving.
• VIZR, a “drug-free microdosing” device, offers a unique experience using light and sound that works similarly to low-level psychedelic compounds to stimulate your brain’s potential for growth and change (use code BEN10 for 10% off).
• HigherDOSE’s PEMF Mat is an infrared sauna blanket that gives you all the benefits of a sauna session in an affordable, portable device. I like to nap on it, or simply zip myself up, relax, and reap the benefits like enhanced exercise recovery, reduced soreness, and greater energy (use code BEN for 15% off).
• The Vielight Neuro is my go-to source for transcranial-intranasal brain photobiomodulation, or PBM, a scientifically proven way to enhance cognitive ability and increase cerebral blood flow. It targets the nasal passage (olfactory bulb), which is directly connected to brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, responsible for vital cognitive processes and storing long-term memories (use code BG15 for 15% off).

Believe it or not, this article is a short list of the hacks I use for brain optimization.

For the full guide, check out Ben Greenfield’s Brain Boost Blueprint — an exclusive resource that is packed to the brim with discounts on all of my favorite biohacks for your brain.

Don’t worry — you don’t need to download it or provide an email address! Simply click here to access it now.

Luo Shifang’s new total eclipsed the previous record by a single kilogram.

Last updated on April 3rd, 2024

The 2024 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, has been a world record bonanza since it began on March 31, 2024. On April 3, 2024, the record books were opened up for edits again when the Women’s 59KG class took to the platform.

Luo Shifang of China scored the overall gold with a new world record total of 248 kilograms by way of a 108-kilogram snatch and a 140-kilogram clean & jerk. It was a bittersweet triumph for the champion of the last qualifying event before the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Shifang suffered an elbow injury during her final clean & jerk attempt that secured the total world record.

[Related: 2024 IWF World Cup Results]

2024 IWF World Cup Results — Women’s 59KG

1. Luo Shifang (CHN) — 248 (108/140)
2. Kim Il Gyong (PRK) — 240 (103/132)
3. Maude Charron (CAN) — 236 (106/130)
4. Pei Xinyi (CHN) — 233 (103/130)
5. Kuo Hsing-Chun (TPE) — 230 (100/130)
6. Valera Venegas (VEN) — 229 (103/126)
7. Elreen Ann Ando (PHI) — 228 (100/128)
8. Yenny Alvarez Caicedo (COL) — 225 (100/125)
9. Hidilyn Diaz (PHI) — 222 (99/123)
10. Lucrezia Magistris (ITA) — 214 (99/115)

Luo Shifang’s new total world record eclipsed the previous record of 247 kilograms held by Kuo Hsing Chun of Taiwan. Taylor Wilkins of the USA failed to score a total after bombing out during the snatch. Kamila Konotop of Ukraine withdrew before the contest began.

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More From the 2024 IWF World Cup

Featured image: @luxiaojunbarbell on Instagram

Morris is the first American weightlifter since 1968 to hold a Senior world record.

Last updated on April 2nd, 2024

American weightlifter Hampton Morris made history on Apr. 2, 2024, during the 2024 IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand. Morris, 20, put the United States back into the Senior world record books for the first time in over 50 years when he clean & jerked 176 kilograms, or 388 pounds.

This historic achievement comes at the tail end of a long and grueling qualification period for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The Cup, which runs from Mar. 31 to Apr. 11, is the final qualifying event ahead of this summer’s Olympics — and Morris just punched his ticket.

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Despite an unprecedented performance during the clean & jerks, Morris placed second overall in the 61-kilogram category at the Cup. Here’s a breakdown of his lifts on the day:

Hampton Morris 2024 IWF World Cup

• Snatch: 124, 127, 130x
• Clean & Jerk: 169x, 172, 176 | Junior World Record, World Record
• Total: 303

The gold medal in this category went to Chinese athlete and 2020 Olympic Champion Li Fabin. Fabin also advanced his own world record in the snatch by a single kilogram when he lifted 146 on his third attempt.

Morris Makes History

Since his debut on the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) platform in 2018 as a Youth athlete, Morris has quickly risen up as the States’ next great American talent. He’s claimed and advanced the Junior world record clean & jerks several times over.

Here’s a breakdown of his trajectory in the Total as a 61-kilogram athlete in the IWF since his debut:

• 2019 Pan American Youth Championships: 243
• 2020 Pan American Junior Championships: 267
• 2021 Youth World Championships: 276
• 2022 Pan American Championships: 279
• 2023 IWF Grand Prix I: 290
• 2023 IWF Grand Prix II: 292
• 2024 IWF World Cup: 303

Prior to Morris, the last American to hold a Senior-level world record in the sport of weightlifting was Joseph Dube in 1968. Dube set a world record in the clean & press event, which was removed from weightlifting in 1972.

With a lifetime best performance in Phuket under his belt, Morris advanced to the number-two position in the world in the 61-kilogram category (behind Fabin). When the Olympic torch is lit in Paris this August, you can bet that Morris will march straight toward the podium.

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Featured Image: Jessie Johnson / @barbellstories